Some Info About This Class Upon
First Day of Meeting
This is the official first post for Eng 280, the class that will determine what it will be as time goes by. I doubt I have taught any other class here at IUSB that contains such a vast array of student experience (and skill levels) collected in one spot, so we'll have to plan as we go. That's the IUSB reality!! You can count on it. What we DO know is it is a poetry class (it was created to supplement our poetry contest and our poetry press) and we do know the expected level of writing ability (in poetry) will be intermediate/advanced. The PUBLISHING in the title has to do with learning how to assemble a manuscript that is aesthetically rigorous, entertaining, edgy, original . . . Call it “finding your voice” or style, subject matter, etc. You will put together a chapbook. You may publish (will be encouraged to do so) this short ms. through Lulu. This publishing class does not focus on "publishing technology" per se. It’s focus is on the writing of publishable works. But we’ll also cover poetry editing (Judging, etc). It is for the poet who might want to eventually also edit magazines, the poet who wants to possibly get into book publishing (instead of teaching). My point is anyone can take an afternoon and figure out technical problems (though they are important). Further, I'm pretty sure most of you are more technically savvy than I am . . . (I'm old school). And, this said, we will be looking at a FEW technical issues after all, it’s just not the main focus. For poets at IUSB, this class exists in order to show you how to move forward stylistically & aesthetically, how to develop a persona (or just to be aware that you have one), how to write not just one poem but many pages of poems that “hang together” as a single poetic statement, a cohesive sequence (disharmonious as it may be). We start by looking at what's out there, and what you need to do to publish (in magazines) and grow as a writer. Simply publishing isn't the ultimate goal of being a poet. This isn't about writing a mainstream blockbuster (repetition of formula) and rolling in dough (though that would be okay I guess in many ways—we’ll discuss the idea of audience, and goals. Poets aren’t usually looking to become rich (perhaps spiritually, etc., not so much financially) . . .
This is the official first post for Eng 280, the class that will determine what it will be as time goes by. I doubt I have taught any other class here at IUSB that contains such a vast array of student experience (and skill levels) collected in one spot, so we'll have to plan as we go. That's the IUSB reality!! You can count on it. What we DO know is it is a poetry class (it was created to supplement our poetry contest and our poetry press) and we do know the expected level of writing ability (in poetry) will be intermediate/advanced. The PUBLISHING in the title has to do with learning how to assemble a manuscript that is aesthetically rigorous, entertaining, edgy, original . . . Call it “finding your voice” or style, subject matter, etc. You will put together a chapbook. You may publish (will be encouraged to do so) this short ms. through Lulu. This publishing class does not focus on "publishing technology" per se. It’s focus is on the writing of publishable works. But we’ll also cover poetry editing (Judging, etc). It is for the poet who might want to eventually also edit magazines, the poet who wants to possibly get into book publishing (instead of teaching). My point is anyone can take an afternoon and figure out technical problems (though they are important). Further, I'm pretty sure most of you are more technically savvy than I am . . . (I'm old school). And, this said, we will be looking at a FEW technical issues after all, it’s just not the main focus. For poets at IUSB, this class exists in order to show you how to move forward stylistically & aesthetically, how to develop a persona (or just to be aware that you have one), how to write not just one poem but many pages of poems that “hang together” as a single poetic statement, a cohesive sequence (disharmonious as it may be). We start by looking at what's out there, and what you need to do to publish (in magazines) and grow as a writer. Simply publishing isn't the ultimate goal of being a poet. This isn't about writing a mainstream blockbuster (repetition of formula) and rolling in dough (though that would be okay I guess in many ways—we’ll discuss the idea of audience, and goals. Poets aren’t usually looking to become rich (perhaps spiritually, etc., not so much financially) . . .
Art wants what it wants, and honesty in
art doesn’t work well (necessarily) with material self-interest . . .
(although, it can). This class is
about community (a community of poets). It is about the role publishing can
play in one's life as a poet (an artist). And it is about writing POEMS. Note the plural. And it is about the creative
life we open ourselves up to as poets. When you publish your work you begin a
journey. You are making a SHAPE, an arc that exists as a SELF you create, it is you, yours,
and yours alone (though when publishing you are handing this YOU over to
readers) and you need to make it particular.
We will help you with that—making it last. Risk obscurity. Don’t be average.
But at the same time don’t worry about it too much. Be aggressive but don't hurry! (A contradiction, I know.) Be difficult on the page.
Be of the moment. This is all to say
each of you will write a chapbook length WORK (16-26 pages), and perfect it.
And so on.
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