A New Offering: Meeting the Moment - Political Poetry and the Anthemic Impulse
Note: subscribers to my newsletter are the FIRST people to hear about this new asynchronous workshop offering! Thank you for reading!
As a teaching artist, I've facilitated countless workshops, classes, and conversations on the topic of what art and artists have to offer in times of crisis. What can it mean to "meet the moment?" What kind of work can a poem do, and what can't it do? For those of us who already consider ourselves creative writers, what kinds of tools and tactics are most effective when it comes to speaking out about the causes that matter to us? And for those of us who don't think of ourselves as artists, what can we learn from how artists approach these issues?
I do not believe there are easy answers, but in my experience, there is immense value in grappling with these kinds of guiding questions. Meeting the Moment: Political Poetry and the Anthemic Impulse is an asynchronous workshop experience where I share everything I've learned from these conversations: examples, frameworks, writing prompts, tactics, resources, and more.
Because I don’t believe that art is ever going to be enough to get us to the world that we want to live in. But I also do not see us getting to that world without it—without some kind of cultural strategy, without narrative work, without artists.
What is an Asynchronous Workshop? Who is it for?
I will share video lessons, resources, links, examples, writing prompts, and all the usual workshop materials, but you have freedom to explore them at your own pace, where and when you feel like it. Could potentially be a good fit for:
- Poets, songwriters, and other artists - I use a lot of spoken word poems as examples, but the tactical ideas that we're exploring can be applied to any kind of writing.
- Comms people, speechwriters, and communicators outside of arts spaces too - When we're talking about narrative, relationship-based communication, and effective messaging, all that is relevant beyond art.
- Educators and facilitators - This curriculum could be an independent study for a student, or supplement other kinds of language arts lessons.
- People with busy schedules - Not to mention friends outside my time zone.
- Introverts who are interested in the topic but don’t have the energy right now to navigate a social experience (relatable).
I believe community is important for creative writers... I also believe that the traditional workshop format is not the only way to find it. This is just something different.
What's Included? How Much Does It Cost?
Register for the workshop here to get full access:
- 7 new videos: over two hours of content. These videos are the lecture element of the workshop, and explore the functions of art in times of crisis, specific tools and tactics for writing that engages with social or political issues, a deep dive into the concept of the anthemic impulse and why it matters, a bonus video on performance and public speaking, and more.
- Audio files of the videos for those who prefer to listen, podcast-style.
- A downloadable workbook full of notes, resources, example links, writing prompts, citations, reflection questions, food for thought, and more.
For all of this, I am asking $20 USD. Basically the cost of a ticket to a live show, even though there is a whole lot more content here. Two notes on that:
- First, if anyone is in a place where they can't swing that, get in touch here for a scholarship; part of the benefit of an asynchronous setup is that no one gets turned away.
- Second, if anyone is in a place where they can pay more beyond the asking price (for example, if you have access to professional development funds from your workplace or organization, or a budget for educational materials), that generosity is appreciated, and will help cover others' scholarships.
A Personal Pitch
A few thoughts on why I wanted to explore the asynchronous format: