Thinking Like a Poetry
Editor: How to Be
Your Own Best Critic
(“The Ossmann
Method” Poetry
Workshop)
Instructor:
April Ossmann (author: of Event
Boundaries and
Anxious Music,
both from Four Way Books), writing and publishing consultant, and
former Executive Director of Alice James Books)
Learn how
to think like a poetry editor! In this
workshop we’ll turn the usual workshop model on its head and
not
only allow the
poet being critiqued to speak, but to speak first and critique their
own poem,
discussing correlations between the criticisms s/he has for other
participants’
poems and her/his own before group discussion begins. This will offer a
taste of what it means to
be both poet and poetry ditor, a position in which it becomes
easier
to objectively
assess your own work; to spot dull vs. energetic syntax, generic vs.
original
imagery and other strengths and weaknesses you may have overlooked. It
also
empowers the poet in the process, and engenders an unusually positive
and
congenial workshop atmosphere. Participants
will receive written editorial suggestions for their poem from the
instructor and participants.
I teach this
workshop regionally or nationally
where I'm invited, including literary and book festivals, colleges,
arts centers, for writer's workshop groups as a guest leader, and at
private homes on request.
The next schedulled workshop (via Zoom video conference) is:
TBA
Pre-registration
required ($85); maximum enrollment, 8.
Info:
(802)295-7747 or aprilossmann@hotmail.com
Payment
& Registration
Advance
registrastion is required, and full tuition is due in advance of the
workshop date. Tuition varies,
depending on how far I'm asked to travel, but the range is generally
$60 - $100 per person.
I
accept checks or money orders.
Refunds
No
refunds for registered participants, but I will email the edited poem
to the canceling participant.
Testimonials
"Thank
you for your words about my poems. I must tell you that Saturday had
such
an impact on me, that I'm ‘seeing’ them and
‘working’ on them as per the
critiquing discussion—word choices, deletions,
etc. This hasn't happened
to me before as the result of any
workshop...I've always thought of this as incubation, but this
after-effect is
purposeful and focused. It is excellent discipline before
hitting the
keyboard— or putting pen to paper. Thank you again!"
—Peggy
Sapphire