The workshop model is everywhere, in schools, community centers, retreats, at Lighthouse. Sometimes a workshop can show us where we need to go. Sometimes, because we may not have the skills or have only been exposed to competitive workshops, we fall back on being "brutally honest," and "ripping the work to shreds," making a workshop unproductive and traumatic, especially for marginalized people.
With that said, this course will be workshop-based. We’ll practice on texts outside of the class before we workshop each other. To reach a radical transparency, we’ll discuss as many issues with "the workshop" as we can think of. Our workshop will be honest without “brutality” and attentive without the violence of “ripping.” We'll focus on critiquing work on its terms instead of what we want as readers. For poets and prose writers of any genre and skill level.
Before the start of class, please read this short essay by Christine Hyung Oak-Lee.
