The Public Poet

What is the role of poetry in the public sphere? How can the practice of poetry live as it was intended to live: out loud? This seminar/workshop offers a challenging, nurturing, and open environment in which students can practice the craft of socially engaged poetics. Our aim is to co-create a vital, humane space in which to explore public poetry—poetry written and/or performed in/for communal, intimate, institutional, and public spaces. Coursework will consist of rigorous reading and discussion, in-class writing exercises, theater games, rehearsals, and at least two culminating performances. Actors, theater makers, dancers, performance artists, singers, educators, and writers are all welcome. Novices welcome. We will workshop and activate our creative ideas in a laboratory-like atmosphere.