The Poetry of Memoir

Joan Didion writes: “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Oftentimes, the stories that make up our personal and collective history come in the form of prose, yet how can poetry engage nonfiction? How can we utilize poetic techniques to create tension and emotion when telling our narratives? We will explore memoir in poetry by connecting content with form. Indeed, how we write our stories affects the reader’s experience. We will consider poems rich with memoir, including Charles Olson, Kimiko Hahn, Jack Gilbert, Eduardo C. Corral, and more. Along with readings, the class will include generative writing prompts and mini-workshops.