This workshop connects with themes from Skirball’s exhibition, Fabric of a Nation: American Quilt Stories, notably exploring questions of identity, social justice, immigrant experiences, nature, and spirituality.

Each week we will focus on a few poems, paying attention to how a poet works with language, form, and content in writing a poem successfully. Our conversations will follow with experiments in writing poetry that reflects the genre and themes relevant to that week’s readings.

Course readings will include work by Emily Dickinson, Paul Laurence Dunbar, William Carlos Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Gwendolyn Brooks, Terrance Hayes, Jericho Brown, Joy Harjo, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Gloria Anzaldúa, Juan Felipe Herrara, Ocean Vuong, Victoria Chang, Li-Young Lee, Herman Fong, and Mary Oliver.

No experience with reading or writing poetry is necessary! The only requirements are curiosity and enthusiasm.

Cost: $150 General/$125 Skirball members