You Do Not Have to Be Good

How to write and read poems with generosity with Devin Gael Kelly

(5-week online class)

A poem is an offering. In this five-week class, poet and critic Devin Kelly will introduce students to a language of generosity for modern poetry. Instead of talking prescriptively about a poem’s quality (“good” or “bad”), students will take an expansive and holistic approach to engaging with poetry and crafting their own. Works by Larry Levis, Mary Oliver, Ross Gay, W.S. Merwin, and many others will serve as models for developing and practicing what Kelly calls “a vocabulary of grace”. Think of a poem as a window, a room, or a landscape—something that expands the more you pay attention to it. Students will discuss and write new poems weekly, and twice over the course of five weeks everyone will receive one-on-one feedback from Kelly on their work. If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could connect more deeply with poetry” or even “I wish I could express myself through a poem,” this class is perfect for you.

Mondays, Feb 3 – Mar 3, Google Classroom + Zoom, 7pm EST

This class will use Google Classroom for sharing materials, tracking assignments, and hosting mid-week discussions. Each week there will also be a live, in-person Zoom meeting for at least 90 mins.