2025 Festival Workshops
Super Poem! A Brief History of the Prose Poem and Some Practice
A brief look the Prose Poem: when/where it emerged and how it’s come to be seen as “new.” Participants will begin a prose poem. Sample poems, a reading list and prompts will be provided. Door prizes will be given.
Carol Willette Bachofner, author of 7 poetry collections, served as Rockland Poet Laureate 2012-2016. She says: Poetry is a living thing, always evolving but never losing sight of its parentage, its legacy.
Revving Up Your Poems
Like pesky children, poets are well-known for asking direct and rhetorical questions about the uncertainty of life. After discussing six short poems that ask who, what, where, when, or why, we will write and share questions to trigger new poems.
Kathleen Ellis’ latest collection Body of Evidence won the 2022 Grayson Books poetry prize. Recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and Maine Arts Commission, she coordinates the annual POETS/SPEAK! in Bangor.
Going Deep and Wide with a Jane Hirshfield Poem
There are great rewards of staying with one poem. Using different entry points and various lenses, we’ll engage in close reading and deep listening. We’ll also pay attention to how the poem resonates in our lives.
Ellen Goldsmith reads, writes and teaches poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and in anthologies. She’s published four chapbooks. Professor emeritus of the City University of New York, she lives in Cushing Maine.
Exploring the Pantoum
The pantoum, a Malaysian poetic form, guides the poetic imagination through repetition and emotion. With poems by Natasha Trethewey, Natalie Diaz, and A.E. Stallings as examples, we‘ll experiment with our own making of a pantoum.
Myronn Hardy is the author of, most recently, Aurora Americana (Princeton University Press). His poems have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, POETRY, The New Republic, and elsewhere. He teaches at Bates College.
Exploring Memory and Imagery in Poetry
Through guided prompts and creative exercises, participants will craft vivid, sensory-rich poems inspired by meaningful objects, memories, and emotions., thus exploring the connection of sensory writing and emotional reflection.
Artist Sal Taylor Kydd explores themes of memory and belonging, through her photography and poetry. Her work is exhibited internationally, with books held in prestigious collections throughout the country. She lives in Rockport, Maine.
Converting the Poem Into Song
Using a participatory approach, we will explore the songwriting process from the poet’s perspective. With key concepts in music theory, we’ll set a foundation for poets to begin applying their craft in a musical setting.
Ethan Stokes Tischler is a Hope-based musician, educator, and musical engineer. He teaches and performs around Maine and New England with the trio Springtide, the duo Elsie & Ethan, and the Gawler Family Band.
Not All is Lost: An Exploration of Blackout & Found Poetry
What is the artistic purpose of erasure? How does found documentation online or in print benefit poetry? Inspired by poems by Nicole Sealey, Cameron Awkward-Rich, and Brittany Rogers, join us in this sampler of Blackout and Found Poetry.
Maya Williams (ey/they/she) is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who was selected as Portland, ME’s seventh poet laureate from July 2021 to July 2024.
NOTE: Registration for all Workshops will be in person on Saturday May 17 at the venue, the First Congregational Church in Camden.