Rooted in values of interconnectedness and reverence for nature, this generative poetry workshop invites poets of all experience levels to:
Cultivate a community of writers inspired by nature
Read and reflect on ecopoetry from diverse traditions
Practice writing poems exploring connection to nature through exercises
During the session, we will read several poems centered around themes of nature, climate change, and environmental justice, drawing from poets from various gender identities, cultural, and geographic backgrounds and reflect on what topical and craft choices resonated with us and ideas to incorporate into our own writing. In addition to the poems we discuss in class, we’ll also have a shared document where we can cultivate a shared resource library of poets, books, journals, podcasts, and other nature-inspired and ecopoetry resources at any point during or after the workshop.
We will also participate in a few short, generative exercises to practice various techniques of writing poetry focused on observing nature, exploring our connection with our natural world, and promoting action for environmental sustainability and justice. The goal of these exercises is to have fun discovering new possibilities on the page rather than to critique “polished” poems, and any feedback that we offer in the class will be geared at appreciating the strengths and seeds within each draft and suggestions for cultivating these seeds further in future drafts.
Proceeds from this workshop are going towards the environmental justice group, We ACT for Environmental Justice!
yellowarrowpublishing.com/workshop-sign-up/observe-connect-act-2023
When: 8:00 pm-9:00 pm EST
April 5
$25
Where: Zoom (link provided after registration)
Class Size: 20 participants
About the instructor:
Raga Ayyagari is a poet who is inspired by nature, family history and culture, and unexpected moments of connection. Her work has previously appeared in the Beltway Poetry Quarterly, Yellow Arrow Journal, and Stanford University Leland Quarterly Journal, and she has shared poetry at various readings in the Washington, D.C. area. She works as a public health researcher and enjoys technical and creative writing.