Poetry’s Musical Bloodline: A Sociohistorical Soundtrack [Tyehimba Jess]

This master class will examine the historic connections between music and poetry, placing particular interest in music of the African diaspora. Participants will create poems that address the history, culture, characters, geographies, and politics of music across generations and across the world. We will read poems from selected authors, provide a forum for deep listening to selected tunes, and try assignments that prompt new and dynamic explorations that bring the energy of music into our poems.