Poetry Workshop: The Autobiography

The Self: Autobiography &/In Poetic Forms with Cynthia Manick
6 Thursdays, June 13 - July 25, 6:00-8:30PM

At Poets House, 10 River Terrace

What does it mean to be the cartographer of the self? To write about its multitudes when the body is a frequency of flesh and heart? We show different sides of ourselves to different people and we play different roles in our lifetimes—sister, brother, wife, lover, worker, etc. The class will explore different ways to document these roles and challenge poets to move beyond them through memory, sense, and voice. Participants will look at the work of Lucille Clifton, Ross Gay, Terrence Hayes, Brenda Shaughnessy, Vievee Francis, Ocean Vuong, and others who interrogate identity in various ways. We will use different forms including confessional, profile, praise, and direct address to explore the way the “self” can emerge on the page and create a suite of portraits.