NO IDEAS BUT IN THINGS: A POETRY SALON
Ages 16-29
Summer 2024, Online
In his poem “Patterson,” William Carlos Williams tells us “Say it! No ideas but in things,” to suggest that in order to speak about big ideas and emotions, we must firmly ground them in the things of the world. In this workshop, student fellows will explore how sensory descriptions can evoke memory and create meaning. They will make use of the world and objects around them to inspire their writing, completing in-class writing exercises and responding to prompts. They'll meet twice a week to read, write, share, and discuss their own work as well as the work of other poets, and through readings and constructive critique, they'll define and develop their distinct voices. Between meetings they’ll keep daybooks, daily diaries of impressions and discoveries drawn from their surroundings: quotations; snippets of conversation; brief notes on people, places, the weather; whatever they encounter that resonates with them. Final portfolios will be shared on the program website and through a public exhibition. Limited to 12 student fellows.
Helena Chung is a Korean American poet currently residing in Washington, DC. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Virginia. Her poems have appeared in Pleiades, Quarterly West, Salt Hill, The Journal, and elsewhere.
Alisha Mona'e Coates graduated from Morgan State University with a B.S. in Multi-Platform Media Production. A BYFA participant since 2016, she started her photography career at Edmondson Westside, and hopes to eventually open an art/photography studio.
