Creative Writing: Poetry for The Rest of Us

Creative Writing: Poetry for The Rest of Us

So many folks want to appreciate poetry, but find it hard to fathom or too much work. Whether it’s dense metaphors or synonyms that make no sense, readers often abandon poetry as too hard to understand.

In this six week creative writing class, we will make poetry accessible and fun and approachable, both by reading poets like Billy Collins, Ted Kooser, Carol Ann Duffy and by poems like History Lesson by Natasha Tretheway or Talking about the Day by Jim Daniels, poems that are more easily digestible to the non-poet or new poet. We will also try our hand at writing poetry, whether sonnets or haikus or odes or other.

Each class session will include reading the works of established poets, as well as trying our hand at crafting or revising our own poetry. Students are encouraged to share their work with the class in order to gain feedback as well as to refine and reshape developing work. There is a hope, but no expectation about sharing personal work.

Students should have a copy of Ted Kooser’s Poetry Home Repair Manual for use in class each week. We will also share other poetry, as well as the work of students.

**Refunds are unavailable for cancellations made within 48 hours of the class**

Glen Young is the author, most recently, of "Four Seasons of Mackinac Island," in addition to more than 500 essays on books and reading. He is Associate Editor of Walloon Writers Review, as well as a co-director of Top of the Mitt Writing Project. His poetry and essays have appeared in regional and national publications. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Marygrove College. He is a National Writing Project fellow, and has earned grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the IREX/Fulbright International Teacher Exchange Program. He is a ski instructor and a kayak guide, and divides his time between Petoskey and Mackinac Island.