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Grief Spiral: Writing Elegies Along a Curved Path
$165
In this two-part workshop, we’ll explore elegies, or poems of lament, through the lens of spirals. We can use these curved paths to structure poems, such as through recurring phrases or imagery, and to relax the brain while creating literary responses in conversation with death, loss, and transformation. We’ll examine elegies by poets such as Ada Limón, Terrance Hayes, and Sharon Olds, who reference spirals in imagery or form. We’ll draw spirals to generate phrases and ideas, view spiral-based photographs as inspiration, and incorporate movement activities as we generate, share, and revise our drafts.
Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.
Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.
Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.
Apply here for the liaison position.
Alex Behr
Alex Behr is a poet, short fiction author, and essayist and the author of Planet Grim (7.13 Books). An MFA recipient from Portland State, she received a RACC Make-Learn-Build grant to create the adoption interview website project “Altar-Altered: Sacred Objects and Adoption Stories” and a RACC Arts3C grant to produce the short documentary “Grief Stick,” combining her recorded poetry, found sounds, videos, and photographs, directed by Brian Padian. The film is accompanied by a poetry chapbook (Picture Frame Press). She has taught creative writing for more than a decade at Portland State, Corporeal Writing, Literary Arts’ Writers in the Schools program, and elsewhere, including arts-based workshops at the Portland Book Festival. Her writing appears in Tin House, Salon, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Lumina, and Painted Bride Quarterly, among many others, and is featured in fine art and on podcasts.
