A Poetry Workshop
July 11 & 18, 2020
This two-part workshop will explore the push and pull between poems as they exist on the page, waiting for a person to read and embody them, and poems as they are performed by someone and heard by an audience.
Participants will review sample poems both in print and performed, consider the differences between the two formats, and use these examples as prompts to write their own poems. Sample poems will be drawn from a spectrum of contemporary poetry including poets such as Mia Willis, Ross Gay, Ada Limón, George Abraham, Solmaz Sharif, and others.
During the second session, participants will perform their poems in a safe and nurturing environment and receive feedback on how they work both on the page and the stage.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online, using the video meeting platform Zoom, which means students may participate from the comfort of their own homes (or anywhere with a reliable, fast internet connection). 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, July 9, from 5:00pm to 6:00pm, MWPA’s Hannah Perry will offer a test session on Zoom. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the test session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, 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.
Maya Williams (she/they) is a Black and Mixed Race suicide survivor residing in Portland, Maine always writing and asking to give you a hug. Maya has published poems in glitterMOB, The Portland Press Herald, Black Table Arts, Occulum, and more. She has also published essays in Rooted in Rights, Black Youth Project, The Tempest, and more. They are a Best of the Net Nominee and a winner of PortFringe’s Patron’s Choice Award for their spoken word showcase “When Speaking to An Extraterrestrial” in 2019. Maya is a low residency MFA candidate for Randolph College. They host Port Veritas’ online open mics Tuesday nights at 8 pm and host writing workshops Sunday mornings online at 10:30 am.
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc’s first collection of poems, Death of a Ventriloquist, was chosen by Lisa Russ Spaar for the Vassar Miller Prize and published in 2012. The book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was featured by Poets & Writers as one of a dozen debut collections to watch. Gibson’s poems have appeared in magazines including Guernica, The New Republic, and Tin House, jubilat, FIELD, and The Literary Review. His fiction has appeared in Slice and Portland Magazine. His second book of poems, Deke Dangle Dive, is forthcoming from CavanKerry Press in 2021.
With graduate degrees from UC Berkeley and Columbia University, Fay-LeBlanc has taught writing at conferences, schools and universities including Fordham, Haystack, and University of Southern Maine, and helped lead community arts organizations including The Telling Room, SPACE Gallery, and Hewnoaks Artist Colony.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online. 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 Hannah Perry at hannah@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 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.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Thanks to MWPA's generous donors, four full scholarships are available for this workshop for Black writers and aspiring writers. No prior workshop experience is required. Application Due on July 6 at 9:00 a.m.
→ APPLY HERE
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 June 29 at 9:00 a.m.
→ MORE INFORMATION
MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION