Poetry as Personal Myth
Free with admission to Portland Book Festival
Beyond the mundane details of our daily lives, our beings contain deeper layers that only the language of poetry can unveil; and myth has long been a way that poets have translated the epic, emotive, and transcendent qualities of their noticing. In this short workshop, we’ll look at a way to interweave mythos into our poetry writing, revealing personal mythologies, unexpected eruptions of wisdom, and a way of working that’s full of creative power.
This is a free drop in class offered at the Portland Book Festival. All attendees must acquire a wristband before entering the class venue. Space is limited.
Jesse Carsten
Jesse Carsten, PhD (they/he) is a mythologist and multidisciplinary artist, poet, musician, and educator. They hold a doctorate in Mythology with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, and a BFA in creative writing and performance studies from the Art Institute of Chicago. Their doctoral thesis centered on the cosmic jazz composer Sun Ra's revolutionary personal mythos as embodied creative practice. Jesse has been composing music under the Half Shadow moniker for more than a decade, and self-publishes essays, chapbooks, and zines. Salt, a book of prose poems and photographic images was published, in collaboration with visual artist B. Ingrid Olsen, by Hassla Press, NYC in 2017.
