We’re often too close to our own stories, and that can make us feel constrained to narrative. But a straightforward, linear approach to storytelling can keep us from revealing the beauty and mystery in our lives. Sometimes we need to take a step back and make our own stories strange to ourselves. And one of the best ways to do that is to study the prose poem—a hybrid form that combines the best of poetry and prose. We’ll each draft a brief paragraph about a personal memory and then experiment with defamiliarization techniques to reveal surprising and fresh approaches to shake up your narrative.

Together, we’ll consider the importance of creating tension between content and form. We’ll understand why short-form memoir (flash, prose poetry) is such a good fit for a more lyric style of storytelling. We’ll take what poets know about lyricism and apply that knowledge to our small memoir pieces. This class is appropriate for writers of any level, whether you identify as a poet or a prose writer, or somewhere in between! You’ll leave this class having created a lyric rendering of a narrative or moment from your life. And you’ll leave with generative revision tools that you can use again and again on any piece of writing that needs a little help in shaking free from linear storytelling. Come ready to read, write, and play!