PLEASE NOTE: The class start date changed to Sat. Aug. 21.

An important part of growing up was learning to “behave yourself,” which often meant speaking softly or listening rather than speaking. I imagine, like me, many of you had a parent who said watch your tone when you speak to me or watch how you talk to your teacher. To stay out of trouble, we learned to speak one way to our friends, another way to our elders, another way to religious leaders, and yet another way to those we hoped to romance. We mastered the art of playing different characters depending on the social context.

And, all too often, we learned to simply shut our mouths and say nothing.

In this workshop we will expand the emotional range and subject matter of our poems by stepping into a variety of characters, employing their perspectives—their voices—as our own. This will allow us to engage aspects of our hearts and minds that have been forgotten or muted as we’ve learned to behave.

What would Joe Biden say in a love letter to Beyonce? What does Cookie Monster really want to tell all the kids who watch Sesame Street? From the grave, what would George Floyd want us to know now? By wearing different masks, we may find poems of love, rage, mischief, desperation, lunacy and more. We will not sit with our hands folded; we will be seen and heard!

Please note: This class or event will be held online (using Zoom or a similar live platform). To participate, students or attendees should have a stable internet connection. Class participants: you should have a computer or device with a webcam and microphone; and your Zoom link will be automatically sent to you after you register. Check your spam box if you don't see it.