The moderator for this week is Abby!
Abigail Licad is an immigrant from the Philippines, a former editor in chief for Hyphen magazine, a full-on feminist, a Tori Amos diehard fan, a mediocre classical pianist, a dog mama, a chocolate fiend, a terrible cook, a succulent addict, a lover of sending care packages, and a poetry junkie through and through. She has no tattoos, and lives in Portland, Oregon.
Tuesday, August 9, 2022
Sam Sax, "Everyone's an Expert at Something"
Prompts:
1. Write a poem incorporating, or responding to, any of the following passages:
"the more i learn the more i learn/i don't know what the fuck/i'm talking about"
"my people are most beautiful/when moving, when movement, when our only state is the liquid/state of water, is adapting to our container."
"homeland sometimes just means/what books you've read"
2. Write a poem that contrasts what others think you are probably expert in as a poet (ex., knowledge of authors, good vocabulary, great reading comprehension etc.), with something that you consider yourself to actually be most expert in (you can try to be as imaginative as possible here -- ex., knowing the best way to greet and make friends with different dog breeds, knowing how to profile bad vs. good tippers, guessing people's zodiac signs, etc.) 3. Reflect on the idea of homeland. What does it mean for you? What associations does it carry? Do you consider the United States your homeland, or do you consider another place, perhaps your family's country of origin, your homeland? What feelings do thinking about your homeland conjure?
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Philip Metres "My Heart Like a Nation"
Video of Poet reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDI7UIQasWg
Prompts:
1. Write a poem incorporating or responding to any of the following passages:
"I'm half-animal/and half-angel, uncertain/where my tenderness ends/and cruelty begins"
"which in translation/reads: [CLASSIFIED/BLANK]"
"I want your clarity"
2 Write a poem to an artist or any famous person you've idolized (this can be a poet, musician, academic, etc.). You can follow the poem's 4-part structure of (i) describing/summarizing the person and what they mean to you, (ii) listing how you and the artist are alike or what you may have in common, (iii) expressing reservations, criticisms, or doubts about the artist, and (iv) making an offering or dedication (such a surrealistic image/vision). 3. Following the poem's title, think of a simile for your heart. What is your heart like? What object would you compare your heart to? Why? List similarities and reasons for comparison between your heart and your chosen object.
Friday, August 12, 2022
Alyssa Berg "Untitled"
Text:
Tonight the sky is full of violent light./Is it an illusion or is it a sign?/The moon pulls the tide/it goes/high/low/high/(so do I)./Falling backwards feels like going back in time/I alone/can't remember which way we went/and or why./Most of it is missing tonight./
Prompts:
1. Write a poem incorporating, or responding to, any of the following passages:
"Is it an illusion or is it a sign?"
"The moon pulls the tide/it goes/high/low/high/(so do I)."
"I alone/can't remember which way we went/and or why."
2. Write about a still memory you have, or a painting, or any image that portrays "violent light." Describe details of that physical light and how it illuminates objects around it. Then make this illumination be symbolic of another more psychic illumination or realization within yourself. 3. Write a very short ekphrasis on a drawing, painting, or any artistically-rendered image (graffiti, postage stamp image, brand logo/mascot, etc.) that tells a story.
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