There is something in me maybe someday
to be written; now it is folded, and folded,
and folded, like a note in school.
—Sharon Olds, ‘A Week Later.’
Image: A Place to Grow, Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, 2019
In this course, we’ll draw inspiration from a range of contemporary North American women poets, exploring how they write about the body, identity, desire, belonging, family, language, and inheritance—and how those approaches can open new possibilities in your own work. Rather than defining or generalizing women’s writing, we’ll encounter a wide range of voices and techniques, giving you the freedom to experiment with how you express your own experiences on the page.
Together, we’ll study how these poets wrestle with complex emotional and cultural terrain, and how they use form, voice, and craft to do so. You’ll consider how a poem can hold contradiction, intimacy, resistance, and transformation—and how different writers make distinct choices in shaping those elements. Through this process, you’ll not only deepen your understanding of contemporary poetry, but also discover new ways to approach your own subjects with clarity, confidence, and creative freedom.
The course centers on a different contemporary poet each week, including Sharon Olds, Natalie Diaz, Solmaz Sharif, Anne Carson, Patricia Smith, and Maggie Nelson. You’ll receive an on-demand lecture along with curated materials, including background on the poet, selected poems, and recordings of their work. Through guided discussion and writing exercises, you’ll engage deeply with these texts before creating your own work in response. You’ll receive written feedback both on initial drafts and revised versions.
Each week, you’ll respond to prompts inspired by the work we’re reading, generating new poems and revising them with the support of a thoughtful, engaged group. This course is designed as a space where you can take risks, challenge assumptions, and explore your voice in a supportive and critically engaged environment. You’ll receive detailed feedback from me on a poem draft each week to help you develop and refine your work.
Wise Women Poetry Workshop is delivered in partnership with Writers.com.
Course Dates: 27th May to 8th July
Online/ flexible (no live Zoom sessions)
Fee: from $380.00 (around £280 GBP, depending on exchange rate)