Description:

Poetry is in the air. Poetry is in the golden light on the summer-lit evening leaves, poetry is in the brief cool sweat of dew on the morning grass; heck, poetry is even in the white, tacky streaks of bird poop on your car windshield. Nature has its own language, after all — it’s the poet’s job to translate that language into our own, and it’s the reader’s job to interpret the poem for themselves. When we set out to write about nature, we learn to pay attention to nature in new ways. What do we hear when we listen closely? What do we see when we close our eyes? What messages do we feel as the wind moves across our shoulders like an invisible shawl?

In this free, two-hour workshop on nature writing, we’ll talk about the meaning of the ineffable in poetry, and, guided by prompts, we’ll try writing our own. We’ll look at a few poets for whom nature has been a profound muse, and participants will take home a packet of readings to enjoy. Open to seasoned practitioners of the craft and newcomers alike, this workshop will excite our ideas about what writing can do, guaranteed (or your money back!). You’re a poet, whether or not you know it yet.

Bio:

Chelsea Harlan is a poet based in Big Island, Virginia, where she was born and raised. She is the author of Bright Shade, winner of the American Poetry Review / Honickman First Book Prize, selected by Pulitzer Prize recipient Jericho Brown. Her work has been featured in American Poetry Review, The Southern Poetry Anthology, Southeast Review, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere, and she has received resident fellowships from MacDowell, Virginia Center for the Arts, the Hambidge Center, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig, Ireland. She lives at home with her husband, four cats, three sheep, one big dog, and one little baby girl.