Generating Associative Verse [Janée Baugher]

The instructor for this class has been adjusted from the print catalog.

All Levels. How can we, as poets, access our subconscious minds—the land of dream where all that bizarre “stuff” surfaces? What’s the difference between associative writing and language poetry? By reading Franz Wright, John Ashbery, David Kirby and other poets whose work jumps and leaps, we’ll explore the process of writing associatively. We will discuss poems, address prompts, and generate new work as sequences or stand-alone pieces to workshop and revise. This class will address the new non-linear poetry, which is as prolific as free verse, and includes strategies for enabling the reception and articulation of what is perhaps any poet’s better half: his or her unconscious wishes and desires.

Each class session we will use about 45 minutes for discussion. The rest of the time will be utilized for generating new work as well and/or workshop of poems written during the previous week. All materials are provided by the instructor; supplementary materials will be recommended but not required.

Week 1: John Ashbery: Is understanding the booby prize?

Week 2: Paul Celan: Myth, archetypes, history: a vital stew

Week 3: Eva Ström—Illness as a creative force + Thomas Cotterill: “Associative Thinking Can Hold a Tune”

Week 4: Franz Wright: The Difficult Childhood—making lemonade from lemons

Week 5: Tomas Tranströmer: A psychologist plumbs the depths

Week 6: Wrap up Tranströmer + other poets as desired