How is a stance toward writing poetry a model for living one’s life? How can the act of writing spontaneously deepen one’s intuition/guidance/connection to one’s more noble self? In six weeks we’ll investigate several post WWII stances toward spontaneous composition, read essays, poems, engage in writing exercises, discussion and have related outside-of-class activities suggested to deepen one’s relation to this stance.
Ideally participants would read materials in advance of the regular session and come ready to discuss.
Week Three, October 17-18, 2020
Questions, comments, criticisms, rebuttals.
Recommended essays:
On Theloniousism by Wanda Coleman.
August 2012 Nate Mackey Interview.
Discuss writer’s date, share poems.
Writing exercise: Phrase Acrostic. (Extra credit if you can use an original American Sentence as the phrase.)
Homework to be done AFTER week three and BEFORE week four:
Write down sixteen words that relate to your own personal mythology that are SOUND-oriented. Do not use abstractions and use the most specific term. Instead of MUSIC, perhaps it’s Baritone Sax, Redwing or “Naima.” Do make this exercise a meditation.
Take yourself on an ARTIST’S DATE, going solo, to a cultural event (if possible) or watch an art film or live JAZZ CONCERT online (the Villagevanguard.com is streaming) OR go to do a health experience you have never done, or have not done in a while, such as Community Acupuncture, Massage, Craniosacral Therapy, Reiki, or go to a Tarot Card reader, psychic, something of that nature. You can do a reading for yourself at www.Facade.com. Try the Runes, my go-to divination. You can write a poem about the experience if so inclined. Maybe look at a video from the Cascadia Poetry Fest on Youtube.
Take the start you had with the Berigan Sonnet Exercise and write 9 more 12-14 line poems, with at least TWO that are collaged. You may want to write poems AFTER this group if you find some energy there, vamping from what you have written. Perhaps use the alluvial method as Michael McClure employed in”Dolphin Skull.”