Memory, Poetry, & Place: Crafting Vivid Descriptions Using Our Senses

WED NOV 6 · 7 - 8:30 PM

Teens  ·  Join us for a poetry workshop led by local poet Lauren Gilmore. What does the first day of school smell like? How about home? What is the sound after a thunderstorm? What did you eat on the worst birthday you ever had? How does your skin feel when you remember the sweater your grandmother used to wear? In this workshop, we will explore the role of sensory details in poetry. Participants will read and discuss works by various poets, taking note of how their senses impact their reading. We will consider which descriptions we find to be most effective and what we can learn from them. We will then pick from an array of provided objects of varying colors, textures, smells, shapes, etc. for one that triggers a memory. These chosen objects will act as doorways into creating our own immersive writing. Those who would like to will be given the opportunity to share their drafts with their peers for feedback. Participants should bring what they prefer to write with: pen & paper, computer, phone, etc. Sign up online.

Lauren Gilmore lives in Spokane, WA. Her poems have appeared in various publications, including Riverlit, Pontoon, Lilac City Fairy Tales, and Ghost City Review. Her full-length collection, Outdancing the Universe is available from University of Hell Press. She was the 2013 Spokane poetry slam grand slam champion, and has toured as a performance poet to various venues across the country. She also writes YA fiction, and is currently a student at Eastern Washington University. Poems, projects, and pictures of her dog can be found on Instagram @lauren__gilmore.

This program is free thanks to community support.