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

 A Sense of Transition: The Prose Poem

In writing, as in life, we often find ourselves in periods of transition. In this class, we delve into an understanding of the form of the prose poem. We use this form to explore the sense of transition, through writing that hovers in the moments where we have a sense of “almost” or a feeling of “neither.” We will look at ways to write paragraphs and poems that prioritize speed, imagery, spectacle, voice, and affect.

Great for both those beginning in poetry, as well as those interested in expanding their poetic or prose-writing explorations, this class will be a generative workshop that will help us write prose poems or fill in the gaps of our stories, novellas or novels with moments of poetic prose. We will read prose poems and parts from deconstructed novels and write in response to prompts based on the work discussed.

In our discussions, we will ask: what delineates prose from poetry? What can we accomplish by intentionally blurring the lines between the two, forgoing disciplinary rules of craft? What happens when we limit or remove the line break? What other opportunities for rhythm and music arise? How can we use the model of prose poetry to both condense and expand plot in novels? How can we make the heightened emotional registers of voice and imagery do this work?

In investigating these questions, we will read passages from novels such as Coming Through Slaughter by Michael Ondaatje and The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector as well as prose poetry by poets such as Bhanu Kapil, Dawn Lundy Martin, Hanif Abdurraqib and James Tate. We might also touch on non-fiction examples such as A Lover’s Discourse by Roland Barthes. Come ready to break some rules!