What Poetry Workshop Participants Say
"Lots of fun! Inspiring!"
"Fun way to expand your poetry practice."
"I felt like I was exposed to the world of poetry in a really genuine, enlightening way."
"The best parts of the workshop were the activities and the attitude of the leader (non-judgmental)."
"There were not expectations for certain "quality" poems, giving me the freedom to work without stress."
"The best parts of this class were learning different ways to write poetry."
"I liked the black-out workshop and the zine-making."
"Very fun even if you don't write a lot or if you have writer's block."
Ode to Fury Found Poetry Workshop
What is it?
First held at the Chicago Public Library, Ode to Fury is a fun, experimental writing workshop created by Jennifer Roche to introduce poets, writers, and citizens of all experience levels to found poetry.
During an Ode to Fury workshop, participants cut, chop, circle, white-out, and erase existing texts as they discover new poems and new ideas within them. Through chance, serendipity, and the writer's poetic and aesthetic choices, new poems are discovered that have been waiting to be set free.
To book or learn more: JenniferRocheUS@gmail.com
Format
The workshop opens with everyone participating in an Exquisite Corpse, which is a writing technique and parlor game used by surrealists in the 1920s. We also briefly explore an introduction to the history of found poetry and to different methods of generating ideas and texts. The real fun begins as participants get time to experiment on their own with various found techniques such as mixing, erasure, and black-out. Everyone goes home with poems they've drafted or completed.
Features
- Workshop can be adapted to varying lengths of 1.5-, 3- and day long or multi-week long arrangements
- All supplies included, but you may want to bring source texts that you find inspiring and would be willing to cut apart.
- Typical 3-hour schedule:
Introductions, Lecture, Group Exercises - 45 minutes
Writing - Creating Time - 120 minutes
Reconvening, Optional Sharing of Work - 15 minutes.
Takeaway
Besides having a lot of fun and trying new things in a relaxed atmosphere, students leave with drafted or completed poems of their own. They also gain an understanding of what found poetry is about, how they can create their own found poetry, and how they can use it to find new ideas within their existing work.
Fees + Booking
$15 per person per hour of workshop time. All supplies included. Travel, parking expenses may be extra.
Minimum 8 people. Maximum 24.
To book or learn more: JenniferRocheUS@gmail.com