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Yearlong in Poetry II: Advanced Workshop

with Anastacia Renee

Genres: Poetry, Reading

Online

Intermediate, Advanced

30 Sessions

Start Date: October 9, 2025
End Date: June 18, 2026
No Class: (skip days) 11/27/2025, 12/18/2025, 12/25/2025, 1/1/2026, 1/8/2026, 3/26/2026, 4/2/2026
Day of Week: Thursday
Time: 7:10 pm - 9:10 pm PT
Capacity: 15 seats
General Price: $1875.00

You’ve built a foundation. You’ve written poems. (Maybe you’ve even published a few!)

Now you’re ready for what comes next: experimentation, risk, and the wide, strange world of what poetry can be.

This yearlong cohort is for writers ready to stretch. Over nine months, you’ll explore poetic movements from 1918 to the present, read beyond the institutional canon, and write alongside contemporary and ancestral voices who refuse to stay in one lane.

We’ll lean into work by poets of color. Multilingual poets. Queer and trans poets. Experimental poets. Poets who write fearlessly about the hard stuff. Think: Joy Harjo, June Jordan, Jericho Brown, Ada LimΓ³n, Khaled Mattawa, Yalie Saweda Kamara, KB Brookinsβ€”writers who challenge poetic form from the inside out.

Each week begins with a generative prompt and a close reading of a poemβ€”unpacking the craft, voice, and choices that make it come alive. From there, you’ll write from intuition, inquiry, contradiction, experimentation, and joy.

We’ll workshop regularlyβ€”bringing in new drafts, old experiments, unfinished sparks. This is our space for creative rigor, radical permission, and lasting community.Β 

You’ll leave with 10+ new poems, 30+ drafts or starts, a deeper poetic lineage, and a cohort of writers who will challenge and champion your voiceβ€”long after class is over.

Perfect for intermediate to advanced writers with a strong foundation in poetry fundamental (including image, form, sound, metaphor, line, and voice) and previous workshop experience.

Especially recommended for graduates of Bill Carty'sΒ Yearlong in Poetry, Anastacia Renee's Poetry Intensive, and/or Leigh Sugar's Yearlong in Poetry II: Workshop courses.

Required text for this class: Students will be required to procure a copy of The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House by Audre Lorde (ISBN-13 978-0241339725).

This class focuses on:

  • Craft & Technique: Focuses on improving writing skills, exploring elements like voice, line, and image.
  • Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
  • Workshop: Students submit work and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates.

What to expect:

  • Goal-Setting & Accountability: Includes tools or practices to help students stay motivated.
  • Publishing: Covers submission strategies, query letters, or publishing tips.
  • Career & Industry Guidance: Focuses on navigating the writing profession.
  • Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
  • Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
  • Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
  • In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write.
  • In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
  • Instructor Feedback: Students receive direct feedback from the instructor.
  • Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work.
  • 2-3 hours of reading and/or writing outside of class per week.

Students say…

"Workshop was my favorite part, and Anastacia did an excellent job leading it. I also loved learning new forms and new writers. I greatly appreciated Anastasia’s tricks and tips that they offered us about the industry.”

β€œI thoroughly enjoy taking classes with Anastacia! The variation in her lessons are always engaging and thought provoking.”

Registration Dates:

  • August 12: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PTΒ Β Β 
  • August 19: General registration opens at 10:30 am PTΒ 
  • August 26: Scholarships open
  • August 31: Last day of Early Bird discount

This class is not eligible for a member discount. Learn more here Β»

Anastacia Renee

Anastacia Renee

She/They

Anastacia-ReneΓ© (She/They)β€―is a queer writer, educator, interdisciplinary artist, speaker and podcaster. She is the author ofβ€―(v.)β€―(Black Ocean) andβ€―Forget Itβ€―(Black Radish) and,β€―Here in the (Middle) of Nowhereβ€―andβ€―Sidenotes from the Archivist,β€―forthcoming from Amistad (an imprint of HarperCollins). They were selected by NBC News as part of the list of β€œQueer Artist of Color Dominate 2021’s Must See LGBTQ Art Shows.” Anastacia-Renee was former Seattle Civic Poet (2017-2019), Hugo House Poet-in-Residence (2015-2017), Arc Artist Fellow (2020) and Jack Straw Curator (2020). Her work has been anthologized in:β€―Teaching Black: The Craft of Teaching on Black Life and Literature, Home is Where You Queer Your Heart,β€―Furious Flowerβ€―Seeding the Future of African American Poetry,β€―Afrofuturism, Black Comics, And Superhero Poetry, Joy Has a Sound,β€―Spirited Stone:β€―Lessonsβ€―fromβ€―Kubota’s Garden,β€―andβ€―Seismic: Seattle City of Literature.β€―Her work has appeared in,β€―Hobart,β€―Foglifter,β€―Auburn Avenue,β€―Catapult,β€―Alta,β€―Torch,β€―Poetry Northwest, A-Line,β€―Cascadia Magazine,β€―Hennepin Review,β€―Ms. Magazineβ€―and others.β€―Renee has received fellowships and residencies from Cave Canem,β€―Hedgebrook, VONA,β€―Ragdale, Mineral School, and The New Orleans Writers Residency.

Each class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).Β 

Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.

Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.Β 

Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.Β 

Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.

Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.Β 

Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.

Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.

Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.

All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.

You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, three days before the first day of class.

Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program, operated in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Two take place onsite at SPL locations, one takes place online.Β 

Sliding-scale classes are offered every quarter. Find them in our Class Catalog.

We announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.

At this time, we offer payment plans on classes 8 sessions and up. Email education@hugohouse.org with the name of the class you’re interested in to set up a payment plan. Please note that you can only have 2 active payment plans per quarter.

Our payment plan policy:Β 
  • We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.Β 
  • Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
  • We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.Β 
  • If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.Β 
  • If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.

Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!

During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!

While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.

Asynchronous classes take place through the websiteΒ Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.

Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policyΒ here.

In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception if a student has specific access needs.

We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.Β  Β 

We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clickingΒ here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.

If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.

You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red β€œRequest a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the β€œadd to cart” button.

Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.

Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!

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If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more.Β Learn more on our Volunteer page.

Learn about all the ways to support Hugo House here.

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