Come explore the adventurous world of experimental poetry!  In this 6-week workshop we will employ various experiments and practices to generate innovative poetry. Our aim is to uncover the unexpected — to bypass our normal habits of thinking and writing in favor of thought and language that will surprise us and lead us into new creative territory.

We'll work with modalities from Dada cut-ups and surrealist collage to Oulipian experiments such as N+7 and univocalics. We'll do homophonic translations, erasures, chance, and hybrid compositions. You will also make up your own experiments and constraints. For context, guidance, and ideas, we'll read the work of poets Christian Bök, Bernadette Mayer, Susan Howe, Lyn Hejinian, Harryette Mullen, and Jean Donnelly, among others.

This workshop is for writers of any level who are interested in exploring the possibilities of language, and generating new material. We will spend some time sharing our work (if desired) but most of the time we will be writing/experimenting. No experience necessary!

When:  Thursday January 11 - February 15, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Cost: $100 (for all six sessions)

If you have any questions or would like to register, please email Leslie at lbumstead@mac.com.

Leslie Bumstead is a poet born and raised in Washington DC. She is the author of Cipher/Civilian (Edge Books) and Hereafter (Arc/Hive Books). Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies, most recently Open Letters Monthly. She teaches literature and writing in the DC area.