A reminder that this weekend we are welcoming poet Brent Goodman (bio below) to Grand Forks to work with the Red River Valley Writing Project and give a public reading of his poetry. In conjunction with his visit, we have set up two possibilities for RRVWP teacher consultants and area teachers to receive credit for attending his poetry sessions.
The first option that is available to RRVWP TCs only is a one-credit class through UND continuing education. Following is the schedule for the class. To receive the one credit, TCs must attend all of the sessions listed. When this class is available for sign-up via UND, we will post an announcement to the ListServ. Look for that today. All TCs who particpate in the one-credit class will receive a copy of Goodman's collection of poetry: the brother swimming beneath me.
If you are planning to take the Cont. Ed. class, please let Pam Fisher know via email. pam[dot]fisher[at]gfschools[dot] org This information will determine the number of handout, etc.
If you are unable to attend for the entire class, you may sign up for one, two, or all three of the three-hour workshops offered on Friday and Saturday, March 12 and 13. These sessions are also open to all non-TC area teachers and are available now for PRISM credit for those on My Learning Plan. If you have colleagues who would like to attend these sessions, please encourage them to do so.
Teaching & Writing Poetry with Visiting Writer Brent Goodman, one-credit (15 hours) UND Cont. Ed. class, RRVWP TCs only
Dates: March 10, 12, 13, 17
Pre-poet: Wednesday, March 10, 6:00-8:00 pm, Room 167, Central High School
Friday, March 12, 6:00-9:00 p.m., UND: Painting with Your Senses: Teaching "Show Don't Tell"
Are your poems painting a complete scene, or simply writing captions? Join visiting poet Brent Goodman and learn how to use descriptive language in your poetry to convey emotion more effectively using imagery rather than summary. This class will demonstrate how to focus blurry language into clear, crisp lines using teachable poetry examples and workshopping techniques. Help your students climb down the "ladder of abstraction" from the clouds to the ground and write stronger, more detailed poems. We will also discuss journaling and applying poetic techniques to everyday writing.
Saturday, March 13, 8:30-11:30 am, UND: Our Poem: Creative Collaboration in the Classroom
Challenge the notion of the solitary brooding poet and discover fun and inventive ways to create amazing poetry with others. From group compositions to one-on-one "tag-team" poems, discover why collaborative writing is gaining popularity in literary journals and creative writing classrooms nationwide. Using teachable poetry examples and workshopping techniques, this class will highlight the creative rewards of sharing the writing process with surprising results. Discuss getting your poems published and exploring online poetry communities with visiting poet Brent Goodman.
Saturday, March 13, 1:30-4:30 pm, UND: Build Your Own Room: Inventing Poetic Forms 3The most challenging part of writing and teaching traditional forms is learning first to enjoy the process. Why not create your own poetic forms? Join visiting poet Brent Goodman and discover this unique way to teach "form follows content" by finding creative freedom inside the patterns and playful constraints you invent yourself. Using teachable poetry examples and workshopping techniques, we'll go beyond rhyme scheme to discuss syllabics, concrete poems, textual experimentation, line length and more.
Saturday, March 13, 7:00-9:00, ND Museum of Art, UND Public reading/Q&A session
Post-poet, Wednesday, March 17, 6:00-8:00 pm, Room 167, Central High School
Goodman is the author of~The Brother Swimming Beneath Me~(2009 Black Lawrence Press) and two chapbooks,~Trees Are the Slowest Rivers~(1998 Sarasota Poetry Theatre) and~Wrong Horoscope~(1999 Thorngate Road) which won the Frank O'Hara Award. His work has appeared in~Poetry, Green Mountains Review, Poetry East, The Beloit Poetry Journal, Diode, No Tell Motel, Gulf Coast, Barn Owl Review, and elsewhere. A twice recipient of Wisconsin Arts Board Individual Artist Fellowship Awards and a former Lecturer of English at Purdue University, Goodman is currently an assistant editor for the online journal~Anti-.
If you have any questions about this wonderful opportunity, please contact Kim Donehower, Pam Fisher, Nancy Devine, or Jessica Zerr. Contact info is available here.
