Some circumnavigate the globe in submarines, others in hot air balloons. In this 6-part series we’ll make history by circumnavigating the world on a magic carpet of poetry. From 3000 BC to today, people across cultures have looked to poetry to speak deeply to questions of what it means to be human. We’ll use short poems as prompts for exploring our own experiences and perspectives on how it feels to be alive today in such a vibrant and culturally diverse world. So, come travel the world with words in an inclusive, nurturing (online) environment and write creatively! All backgrounds, levels, and writing styles (prose, journaling, etc…) are welcome.
You will be emailed a Zoom link the day before the class.
All cultures and peoples turn to poetry during times of celebration, transformation and challenge—those times when ordinary language cannot carry meaning beyond our understanding. -Joy Harjo
Wed. Nov. 16th- Japan
Japan, the land of tea ceremonies, zen gardens, bonsai trees, and calligraphy! This is a country where life itself is a work of art. And poetry, the art of words, is vital. We’ll explore Japanese poems famous for their brilliant brevity and play with distilling our own stories down to their very essence. As Japanese poet Makota Ooka describes it,, “a good poem is like a tiny seed that contains a great tree. If you can grasp the seed, you will understand the tree.''
Wed. Dec. 21st- Spain
Wed. Jan. 18th- Sweden
Wed. Feb. 15th- Chile
Wed. March 15th- Ethiopia
Wed. April 19th- India