“You can teach the mechanics, the craft, the genres of poetry by referencing the ancestor texts of poetry or by studying the field according to theory, but you cannot make a poet. Poetry is not a career — it is a state of being. You become poetry or are in a state of becoming with poetry. My chronological map of becoming would not be linear, rather it has been crisscrossed with arcs of events, poems, poets, arts, music, all bound and directed by history and memory.” ~ Joy Harjo
{Registration for this course is now closed.}
Hello, fellow poet!
What I’ve learned about poetry ~
There are petite, possibly
imaginary things
that I carry:
a tiny suitcase
packed with metaphors
chosen by my mind
to decode,
to begin to express
the beauties of my life
and that which shatters me
a smooth, round stone
I keep in my pocket,
a stone plucked from a beach
near Lunenburg or Shimoda,
a stone that I palm,
turn over and over,
until my courage ignites.
a heart-shaped locket
(I’ve always wanted one. It’s not too late.)
emits an edgeless field of daisies
that protect me from evil.
The bits that I carry and wear
and imagine and scribble down
on scraps of paper like notes
to my best friend in class,
like secrets,
like prayers
and amendments,
like lists of people
I’ve been in the past
and hope to be in the future ~
these are a spiritual practice
and I am the high priestess
of all my own poetry.
Why it was hard to learn those things ~
1. All the white-dude poets, professors and literary critics I encountered during my English Lit degree preached FIRE AND BRIMSTONE SERMONS about what constitutes REAL, GOOD ENOUGH poetry. (Some of them were dead but not so dead they couldn’t make their point.) I was younger then and I believed them (even the dead ones) despite the fact that their words made me feel bad about my words and the way I arranged them. I was younger then and too quick to abandon myself.
2. I write about things that I love and these are also things that teenage girls love and there is nothing that draws as much criticism as that which teenage girls love. (Note: If it is not clear, the problem is not with teenage girls.)
The thought that saved me ~
There is not just ONE way to write, love and appreciate poetry!*
*This is also true about bodies, education, love and other human endeavours.
My stubborn commitment to NOT JUST ONE WAY has led me to create a series of poetry courses. In September 2016, I offered my first poetry class, Poet Laureate of Your Own Life. During the pandemic isolation of 2020, I created the smallest words as a way to connect with other poets. In the spring of 2022, I offered an eight-week course called Collected that focussed on craft more than my previous courses.
How Four Poems is similar to my earlier poetry courses:
My courses are all designed to help you grant yourself the permission and freedom to write poetry while ditching the unhelpful stories you’ve been taught about whether your poetry was REAL and/or GOOD ENOUGH.
You will write surprising, poignant and beautiful poems that will allow you, the poet, to name and describe the forces at work and play in your life, lament what’s been lost, and celebrate everything that is beautiful and confounding in its complexity.
During our Salons (Zoom calls), we will encourage our peers and serve as witnesses to their words.
How Four Poems is different:
* Four Poems, the next chapter in this series of courses, is simply an invitation to write four poems over five weeks.
* This season in my life, and perhaps yours as well, demands simplicity. To this end, there is no classroom.
* You will receive an essay from me at the beginning of each of our five weeks together. There will be no homework!
* On four of the five weeks, we will gather on Zoom on Saturday at 4 p.m. Pacific/7 p.m. Eastern to write, edit/polish and share our poetry with each other. Our calls will be 90 minutes long.
No critique
Please note that there will be no poetry critiques in this class. We’ll encourage our fellow poets in the Salons by sharing what we love about their work, what resonates, and what their words make us feel or remind us of.
Metaphor: Poetry Party
The metaphor for my courses is a party so thoughtfully constructed that even the most Introverted among us (puts hand up) stays up past midnight. At this magical gathering, people laugh freely, your favourite beverage and snacks are served in abundance, every conversation is deep and interesting, and everyone feels welcome. The folks at this soiree are curious about themselves and about you and about the human condition. You won’t have to hide out in the bathroom or on the balcony because these are your people and we’ll figure things out together.
How this will work:
1. Dates:
Four Poems will run for five weeks ~ from Monday 31st October (our first email/essay) until Saturday 3rd November (our final Salon).
2. Course Modules
Week 1: Poem as photograph
Week 2: Poem as prayer
Week 3: Poem as tiny memoir
Week 4: Poem as blessing
Week 5: Ways of revising
3. Weekly Essays
On each of the five Mondays of the course, you’ll receive an email with an essay about the topic for that week as well as a link to the audio recording if you’d prefer to listen to the material. There will be no homework! (Yes, you heard that correctly. There’s no homework.)
4. Weekly Zoom Calls: The Salon
In our four Salons, we will:
* write (prompts will be provided and can be used or ignored)
* edit/polish
* share our poetry (or bits of our poetry) with each other
The 90-minute calls will be on Saturdays at 4 p.m. Pacific and 7:00 p.m. Eastern and on Sunday mornings in Asia and Australia/New Zealand.
Dates: Saturday November 5th, 12th, 19th and December 3rd.
Please note the following:
a) There will be no call on Saturday 26th November as it is Thanksgiving in America.
b) Our calls will not be recorded.
5. Poem Garden: Collection of 200+ Poetry Prompts
Because I want you to always have something to prompt a new poem, I’ve created a PDF with more than 200 poetry prompts. I will include this PDF with our first email message.
This course is for you IF ~
* you write poetry and you’d like to write more
* you want/need to begin writing poetry
* you are ready for the process of writing and revising poetry to feel easier and more joyful
* you’re willing to play and experiment with writing in the company of other poets
* you are looking for a safe and supportive writing community where we do not critique each other’s work
Questions?
Please email me at monnamcd (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions you might have.
Investment
The cost of this course is $250 CANADIAN Dollars payable via PayPal.
If you are Canadian and would prefer to e-transfer your tuition from your bank account, please email me.
IMPORTANT: Before you make your payment below, please note that the class will NOT be recorded.
