Obsession [Oliver de la Paz]

We will open by discussing just what a poetic obsession is. Then we’ll apply that definition to strategies for engaging with poems written as parts of long projects, sequences, and works in series. We’ll read excerpts of works from longer sequences and participate in prompts crafted to generate more work from a single source of inspiration. Readings will pull from David Lee’s The Porcine Canticles, Claudia Rankin’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely, Rochelle Hurt’s The Rusted City, CA Conrad’s The Book of Frank, and Thorpe Moeckel’s Venison. Writing exercises will encourage the generation of new work.