A 1-Day Birding & Writing Workshop
Sunday, April 27, 1-4 PM
Bird as subject; bird as metaphor; bird as inspirational curiosity; birds as lore. In this workshop, we will be welcoming all ways of engaging with birds through poetry. We will read work by poets who honor these feathered beings in a variety of ways. Work by poets like Cyrus Cassells, Don Domanski, June Jordan, Ross Gay, John Lindgren, and Myronn Hardy will serve as a backdrop for our own writing as we explore the many ways that birds motivate us towards creativity. This will be a generative workshop. We will focus our time on prompt-based writing, with opportunities for sharing, if you are so inclined.
To augment our time inside, we will also spend time outside gathering inspiration and information from whatever year-round and migrant birds we’re able to find. All levels of bird intrigue and indifference are welcome here. There is no prior knowledge of bird life necessary for this workshop, but please feel free to bring your favorite bird fact, species, or experience with you. We will spend a brief amount of time covering the bird species we are likely to see on our walk. Other suggested, but NOT required, items to bring beyond whatever best facilitates your writing: comfortable shoes (we will NOT be walking far!); a bird field guide; a bird ID app, like Merlin ID.
$90 Members/$135 Nonmembers
Samaa Abdurraqib is the editor of From Root to Seed: Black, Brown, and Indigenous Poets Write the Northeast (2023). Recently, her poetry has appeared in Cider Press Review, december, Obsidian: Literature and Arts in the African Diaspora, and in the edited collection Bigger Than Bravery: Black Resilience and Reclamation in a Time of Pandemic (2022). Her newest chapbook, Towards a Retreat will be published by Diode Editions in 2025. Samaa is a certified Maine Master Naturalist and she is always listening for birdsong.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-200-7180 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due by April 20 at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION