LISTING: NOT THE SAME AS A LIST

A FREE POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP 

By Hervé Cozanet 

Saturday, March 15th, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Artspace: 140 E Market St, Akron, OH

Lists get us started, keep us on track, and send us off to get our work done. In poetry, there is the pure list poem, like Christopher Smart's 18th century long list of his cat’s tributes, Jubilate agno and Robert Francis' modern "Silent Poem" or Nancy Willard's "Questions My Son Asked Me." 

I want to examine contemporary poems that embed the lists into a larger poem and examine one or two such poems that can provide a model for drafting a new poem.

Then we can look at more meanings for the word "list" and "listing"-- in law, in sailing, in real estate and stocks and bonds-- for other future poems. 

We are going to start by brainstorming some lists. Then we will look at different types of list-inspiring poems and turn our storm into poems asea, listing perhaps as they sail. I hope for everyone to get at least one draft out of our session. Bring paper or tablet or laptop.

You will receive a bibliography and several additional writing assignments to take with you.