Mixed-Level Poetry Writing at Ulster and Coxsackie Correctional Facilities
Facilitated by Gretchen Primack
The Mixed-Level Poetry Writing workshop introduces participants to three main components: reading as writers, discussing the craft of poetry, and writing original poems both in and outside of the classroom. Participants are able to tap into their creativity by warming up with varied poetry exercises; examining other poets’ published work; and sharing, critiquing, and revising their own poems. They learn to include writing poetry as a way of accessing different parts of themselves and making sense of themselves, and they learn to include writing poetry as a way of interacting with the world. As the workshop progresses, it is powerful to see the group cohere. participants experience each other as a writing community, developing trust and mutual respect, and respond to each other’s work in increasingly nuanced ways as a result.