Writing Workshop: Stopping Along the Way: Observation in Poetry

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In this free workshop, participants will learn the technique of using observation in poetry writing, such as observations of time and place. Frank O'Hara described his poetry as, “What happened to me, allowing for lies and exaggerations.” Time moves O'Hara's poems, but along the way he stops and observes his world. The same can be said of poets that followed him, such as Sharon Olds, Barbara Guest, and Dean Young. While O’Hara moves from the kitchen sink to larger ideas and truths, Olds, Guest, and Young move fluidly from the kitchen sink to an abstract world, within which they distill larger truths. After a brief presentation, we will take some time to workshop a few of our own poems. Please bring ten copies of a poem to workshop, no more than one page in length.

Westside Bowl (upstairs, fully accessible)
Wednesday July 10 4:00-6:00pm
Registration closes July 1.

Meet the workshop leader: Mark Lee Webb makes his home in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, folk musician Molly McCormack. He grew up in Southern California, which often influences his poetry and short stories. Mark received his MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte, and his work has appeared in many literary journals. He has published two chapbooks and one full-length book of poetry. His photography has been selected for the covers of journals and included in several juried exhibitions, and he plays jazz and blues regularly in clubs around Louisville.

This project is being supported in part by funds awarded to the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners under Assistance Listing No. 21.027 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

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