« All Events

Writers Workshops

Poetry/In-person 2526-314

Course #Poetry/In-person 2526-314
Mondays Starting March 23 6:00 pm–9:00 pm running 6 weeks
Cost: $315 Instructor: Joshua Burton
+ Google Calendar+ iCal Export

This is an in-person workshop that takes place at Inprint House

The Art of Truth-Telling in Poetry

I once wrote:

It is hard to tell the truth
And it is hard to be in a room with so many words.

But truth is not as illusive in poetry as some might think. In the art of poetry where the distinction between non-fiction and fiction is most indistinguishable, we can step in and out of factual events, twisting them to fit within our stanzas and line breaks. In this workshop, I want to explore the multitude of ways truth can exist in the poem. Whether it’s us retelling our experiences in a confessional-like style or are uncovering our ideas of subtler truths about the human condition, the hope is always giving the reader a truth they know or will someday know.

Here are some of the guiding questions we will be investigating. What truth is the poem trying to unveil for the reader? Is the truth of the poem contingent on it being factual? And what is the relationship between truth telling and finding your authentic poetic voice? In this workshop, we will read the work of Joy Priest, Terrance Hayes, Patricia Smith, Jason Shinder, Layli Long Solider, Frank O’Hara, Roger Reeves, Tracy K. Smith, and more.

About the Instructor

JOSHUA BURTON holds an MFA in poetry at Syracuse University. A poet and educator from Houston, TX, he is a 2019 Tin House Winter Workshop Scholar, 2019 Juniper Summer Writing Institute scholarship winner, 2019 Center for African American Poetry and Poetics fellowship finalist, received the Honorable Mention for the 2018 Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady Chapbook Prize, 2020 Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing finalist, and a 2023 Elizabeth George Foundation grant recipient. His work can be found in Mississippi Review, Gulf Coast, The Rumpus, Conduit, TriQuarterly, Black Warrior Review, Grist, and Indiana Review. His chapbook Fracture Anthology is currently out with Ethel and his debut poetry collection Grace Engine is out with the University of Wisconsin Press.

By registering for an Inprint Writers Workshop you are agreeing to Inprint’s registration policies. If this workshop is full when you try to register, please sign up on the waiting list here so you receive priority registration the next time this class is offered. For details and a schedule of all the current workshop offerings, click here.

Related Events