Everyone has a story or stories to tell. Most people may not think of poetry as the best or easiest way to share these stories, but it lends itself to an expressiveness that prose can lack. Through poetry stories can be shaped into verse for a maximum of emotional impact. But there is more to writing a poem than just breaking a paragraph up into shorter lines.
Pulitzer Prize nominated poet Sue Ellen Thompson, is offering a one-day workshop that will encourage students to explore some autobiographical poems by contemporary writers to see what makes them so compelling and then draft a brief narrative in prose. These narratives will be turned into a poem, paying close attention to the techniques that good poets use to raise their works above the level of simple, straightforward story telling. Join Thompson at the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council’s Centre for the Arts on Saturday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for this unique workshop opportunity. The deadline for registration is March 5. Class cost is $55 for members of the Arts Council and $70 for non-members. Ages 15 and older.
In addition to her nomination for the Pulitzer, Thompson has won numerous awards and has had her work read on National Public Radio by Garrison Keillor. She has been featured in U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s nationally syndicated newspaper column and recently edited The Autumn House Anthology of Contemporary American Poetry. She has published four volumes of poetry and essays. A graduate of Middlebury College, Vermont (B.A.) and the Bread Loaf School of English (M.A.), she is an accomplished writer and instructor.
The Center for the Arts classes are designed to renew existing artistic interests, and to develop new skills. Registration materials are available at 206 South Commerce St. in Centreville, MD Tuesday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm, or by calling 410.758.2520, online, www.arts4u.info, or request via email at exhibit@arts4u.info. The Centre receives support through a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
The Queen Anne’s County Arts Council is a non-profit organization committed to promoting, expanding, and sustaining the arts.