The Making of Persona Poems
Level: All Levels
What were Vladimir Putin’s first thoughts as he held, for the first time, the paper invitation to the White House? As a grandmother visits the college campus her granddaughter will attend in a month, what doesn’t she say? What joy or sadness does she keep within?
The persona poem requires the poet to fully imagine and fully inhabit another’s interiority. The poet is required to de-center their self in order to actualize a specific time, detail, life of another. Participants will analyze example persona poems by poets such as Louise Glück and Patricia Smith, engage in writing exercises, and share in brief, friendly group critiques.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online via Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. On Thursday, September 16, from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, MWPA staff will offer a tech help session on Zoom. Students are encouraged to attend the tech help session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, if they have any tech concerns, use Zoom infrequently, or simply would like to test their connection, and those who do not are responsible for ensuring that they are able to use Zoom on their own. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the test session and the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
If you would like to quickly and easily test your internet connection and your computer’s compatibility with Zoom, click HERE. Full details on supported Operating Systems, internet browsers, and more can be found HERE. To download and familiarize yourself with Zoom, click HERE.
Myronn Hardy is the author of five books of poems: Approaching the Center, winner of the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award; The Headless Saints, winner of the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; Catastrophic Bliss, winner of the Griot-Stadler Prize for poetry, Kingdom, and most recently, Radioactive Starlings, published by Princeton University Press. His poems have appeared in journals such as The New York Times Magazine, Ploughshares, Virginia Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. He teaches poetry at Bates College.
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.
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QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
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Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
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SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on September 6 at 9:00 a.m.
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