I officially took on this course at the last minute (Tuesday, Jan. 7, to be exact) so I modified my MWF schedule as best I could, given the snow days. As anyone who has been in creative writing workshops will tell you, things very rarely go exactly as scheduled. So view this schedule as a rough guide; I’ll always announce any changes plenty of time in advance.
Week 1:
Thursday, Jan. 9: Introductions. Discuss basic terminology and some warm up poems. Assignment: start working on your first poem and read Always Danger by David Hernandez.
Thursday, Jan. 9: Introductions. Discuss basic terminology and some warm up poems. Assignment: start working on your first poem and read Always Danger by David Hernandez.
Friday, Jan.
10: Late
Registration and Change-of-Course end.
Week 2:
Tuesday, Jan. 14: Finish discussing the
Warm-Up Poems. Time permitting, discuss some of the schools of poetry. Copies
of Poem #1 due in class; bring enough for everyone. On your own, read through
students’ poems and write some constructive suggestions on the poems.
Thursday, Jan. 16: Begin workshopping
Poem #1.
Week 3:
Tuesday, Jan. 21: Continue workshopping Poem #1.
Thursday, Jan. 23: Finish Poem #1. Distribute copies of Poem #2. Also, on your own, prepare your written response to Always Danger.
Thursday, Jan. 23: Finish Poem #1. Distribute copies of Poem #2. Also, on your own, prepare your written response to Always Danger.
Week 4:
Tuesday, Jan. 28: Journal #1 (over Always Danger) due in class. Discuss the book. Begin workshopping Poem
#2.
Thursday, Jan. 30: Continue workshopping Poem #2. On your own, start working on Poem #3. This time, I want you to write an
“imitation poem” in which you try to imitate the style or subject matter of one
of the assigned poets or poems we’ve discussed so far.
Week 5:
Tuesday, Feb. 4: Finish workshopping Poem #2. Distribute copies of Poem #3 (the imitation poem).
Thursday, Feb. 6: Begin workshopping Poem #3. Discuss Imitation of Life. Journal #2 (over Joseph) due.
Saturday, Feb. 8: Instead of meeting in the classroom, on your own, please watch this reading by Stephen Dobyns.
Thursday, Feb. 6: Begin workshopping Poem #3. Discuss Imitation of Life. Journal #2 (over Joseph) due.
Saturday, Feb. 8: Instead of meeting in the classroom, on your own, please watch this reading by Stephen Dobyns.
Week 6:
Tuesday, Feb. 11: On your own, start reading
Folly by Norman Minnick.Continue workshopping Poem
#3.
Thursday, Feb. 13: Finish workshopping Poem #3, if necessary. Discuss Folly by Norman Minnick. Journal #3 (over Minnick) due in class. Also include THREE QUESTIONS FOR THE POET!!!
Week 7:
Tuesday, Feb. 18: In class, perform an imitation of Albert Goldbarth’s poem, “Library” (available at http://poems.com/special_features/library.htm) . Feel free to tinker with that and submit it as your fourth poem. Otherwise, you can turn in something different. Time permitting, we'll also discuss "Marginalia" by Billy Collins (http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/marginalia.html).
Thursday, Feb. 20: Distribute copies of Poem #4. This time, we'll try small group workshops so just bring a copy for me and about 5 copies for your group members.
Tuesday, Feb. 18: In class, perform an imitation of Albert Goldbarth’s poem, “Library” (available at http://poems.com/special_features/library.htm) . Feel free to tinker with that and submit it as your fourth poem. Otherwise, you can turn in something different. Time permitting, we'll also discuss "Marginalia" by Billy Collins (http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/marginalia.html).
Thursday, Feb. 20: Distribute copies of Poem #4. This time, we'll try small group workshops so just bring a copy for me and about 5 copies for your group members.
Week 8:
Tuesday, Feb. 25: In-class scansion lecture (or review, if we decide to cover this earlier). Discuss the midterm assignment. For
this, I want you take TWO of the poems you have already turned in for the
semester (preferably the original drafts, not revisions) and scan them, like
what I did in the scansion activity. Then, write a journal (two pages minimum)
analyzing YOUR style, strengths and weaknesses, any patterns you notice in
terms of your word/syllable usage, your aesthetic, etc.
Thursday, Feb. 27: No class! I’ll be out of town for a reading/presentation at the AWP Conference. On your own, start work on Poem #5 (another imitation OR your choice of the Poetry Prompts). Please put the name of the poem you're imitating on the copy, as well. On your own, start reading No Object by Natalie Shapero and prepare your written response.
Week 9:
Tuesday, March 4: Watch “Howl” in
class.
Thursday, March 6: Finish watching
"Howl" in class. Discuss. Midterm exam due in class
(this should consist of the journal AND the actual scanned
poems).
Spring
Break: No class Monday, March 10, through Friday, March 14
Week 10:
Tuesday, March 18: Discuss No Object. Journal #4 (over Shapero) due in class. Course withdrawal period ends.
Wednesday,
March 19: Natalie Shapero will be visiting my MWF class at 2 PM, if you're interested in attending (RB 361).
Thursday, March 20: Distribute copies of Poem #5 (either an imitation or your choice). We'll do another round of small group workshops to get us caught up so you only have to bring about 6 copies.
Thursday, March 20: Distribute copies of Poem #5 (either an imitation or your choice). We'll do another round of small group workshops to get us caught up so you only have to bring about 6 copies.
Week 11:
Tuesday, March 25: Distribute copies of
Poem #6 (another imitation OR your choice of the Poetry Prompts). Read and
discuss some examples of Prose-Poems (available on the blog). On your own, make
sure you’ve read Strike Sparks by Sharon Olds and prepared your journal
response. Time permitting, start workshop.
Thursday, March 27: Discuss Strike Sparks by Sharon Olds. Journal #5 (over Olds)
due in class. Continue workshopping Poem #6. On your own, work on Poem #7
(a Prose-Poem).
Week 12:
Tuesday, April 1: Continue workshopping Poem #6.
Thursday, April 3: Finish workshopping Poem #6, if necessary. Distribute copies of Poem #7. To make time for conferences, we'll do this one in SMALL GROUPS so you only need 6 or 7 copies. Also, if you haven't already decided what you're going to cover in your class presentation, DO SO NOW! As I said, presentations can be over pretty much any contemporary, published poet (focusing specifically on one to three poems) but I don't want multiple presentations over the same thing so we will also SIGN UP FOR PRESENTATIONS.
Week 13:
Tuesday, April 8: Small group workshop of Poem #7. Sign up for conferences. Conferences will be in my office (RB 246). Please bring two of your poems. They can be either new poems or revisions but they must be things you've written this semester. On your own, work on Poem #8 (something of your choice). You also have the option of showing me Poem #8 in conference so if there's a topic or style you'd like to try but not share with the class, now's the time!
Thursday, April 10: CONFERENCES INSTEAD OF CLASS.
Week 14:
Tuesday, April 15: CONFERENCES INSTEAD OF CLASS.
Thursday, April 17: Turn in Poem #8. This poem is required for the class but optional in terms of workshop; if you don't want to workshop it, just give me a copy. Workshop for Poem #8 for anybody who's interested.
Tuesday, April 15: CONFERENCES INSTEAD OF CLASS.
Thursday, April 17: Turn in Poem #8. This poem is required for the class but optional in terms of workshop; if you don't want to workshop it, just give me a copy. Workshop for Poem #8 for anybody who's interested.
Week 15:
Tuesday, April 22: Class presentations.
Thursday, April 24: Class presentations.
Thursday, April 24: Class presentations.
Final Exam: Your portfolio is due IN MY OFFICE on Tuesday, April 29, at 9:45 AM.
Your portfolio should contain all 8 poems, revised. At least three of those should be MAJOR revisions (labeled as such)! I also need the originals (labeled as "original," or just include a marked up copy). For minor revisions, obviously, label them "minor revision." Put all this in a folder, a binder, a paper bag, or an unlocked treasure chest. Whatever. If you have any questions over what I consider a "major" revision, let me know!
CONFERENCES
Thursday, April 10:
10:45 - 11:00 Walter E.
11:00 - 11:15 Anna Bowman
11:15 - 11:30 Jessica Dunson
11:30 - 11:45 Alex Smith
11:45 - noon
12:15 - 12:30 Katie Morario
12:30 - 12:45
12:45 - 1:00
Friday, April 11:
11:00 - 11:15 Andrew Kelly
11:15 - 11:30 Devon McCoy
11:30 - 11:45 Chelsea Kleeberg
11:45 - noon
12:00 - 12:15 Mason Long
12:15 - 12:30
Monday, April 14:
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
11:45 - noon
12:00 - 12:15 Jamie Blake
12:15 - 12:30
Tuesday, April 15:
11:00 - 11:15 Kaiti Crittenden
11:15 - 11:30 Aly Bartholomew
11:30 - 11:45 Marc Bartel
11:45 - noon Nicole Thomas
12:15 - 12:30 Bri Pierce
12:30 - 12:45
12:45 - 1:00
Wednesday, April 16:
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
11:45 - noon
noon - 12:15 Samuel Itkin
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
*Remember, these are short (about 5-7 minutes) so we'll try and do about 9 per class. Sign up AND give the name of the poet on which you'll be presenting.
Your portfolio should contain all 8 poems, revised. At least three of those should be MAJOR revisions (labeled as such)! I also need the originals (labeled as "original," or just include a marked up copy). For minor revisions, obviously, label them "minor revision." Put all this in a folder, a binder, a paper bag, or an unlocked treasure chest. Whatever. If you have any questions over what I consider a "major" revision, let me know!
CONFERENCES
Thursday, April 10:
10:45 - 11:00 Walter E.
11:00 - 11:15 Anna Bowman
11:15 - 11:30 Jessica Dunson
11:30 - 11:45 Alex Smith
11:45 - noon
12:15 - 12:30 Katie Morario
12:30 - 12:45
12:45 - 1:00
Friday, April 11:
11:00 - 11:15 Andrew Kelly
11:15 - 11:30 Devon McCoy
11:30 - 11:45 Chelsea Kleeberg
11:45 - noon
12:00 - 12:15 Mason Long
12:15 - 12:30
Monday, April 14:
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
11:45 - noon
12:00 - 12:15 Jamie Blake
12:15 - 12:30
Tuesday, April 15:
11:00 - 11:15 Kaiti Crittenden
11:15 - 11:30 Aly Bartholomew
11:30 - 11:45 Marc Bartel
11:45 - noon Nicole Thomas
12:15 - 12:30 Bri Pierce
12:30 - 12:45
12:45 - 1:00
Wednesday, April 16:
11:00 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 11:45
11:45 - noon
noon - 12:15 Samuel Itkin
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
*Remember, these are short (about 5-7 minutes) so we'll try and do about 9 per class. Sign up AND give the name of the poet on which you'll be presenting.
Tuesday, April 22:
1) Kirstin Jorgenson - Walter Enzmann
2) Katie Morario - Thomas Sayers Ellis
3) Anna Bowman - Philip Levine
4) Aly Bartholomew - Billy Collins
5)Kaiti Crittenden - Lauren Zuniga
6)
7)Brooke Wyant- Wallace Stevens
8) Marc Bartel- Pat Mora
9)Jamie Blake - Natasha Trethewey
Thursday, April 24:
1) Sam Itkin -- Alec Hershman
2) Jessica Dunson-- Ntosake Shange
3) Robert Creeley--Mason Long
4) Alex Smith - Khary Jackson
5) Chelsea Kleeberg -- Ada Limon
6) Devon McCoy--Poe
7) Nicole Thomas - Kathleen Rooney
8) Andrew Kelly- Ray Carver
9)
1) Kirstin Jorgenson - Walter Enzmann
2) Katie Morario - Thomas Sayers Ellis
3) Anna Bowman - Philip Levine
4) Aly Bartholomew - Billy Collins
5)Kaiti Crittenden - Lauren Zuniga
6)
7)Brooke Wyant- Wallace Stevens
8) Marc Bartel- Pat Mora
9)Jamie Blake - Natasha Trethewey
Thursday, April 24:
1) Sam Itkin -- Alec Hershman
2) Jessica Dunson-- Ntosake Shange
3) Robert Creeley--Mason Long
4) Alex Smith - Khary Jackson
5) Chelsea Kleeberg -- Ada Limon
6) Devon McCoy--Poe
7) Nicole Thomas - Kathleen Rooney
8) Andrew Kelly- Ray Carver
9)
