Cost: Free

Location: Online (using Zoom) "Enter the Classroom" during any the dates/times listed below.

Register for the Course: A formality to make it real and so I can contact you.

Schedule:

• Thursday, October 17, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EDT) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.
• Tuesday, October 22, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EDT) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.
• Thursday, October 24, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EDT) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.
• Tuesday, October 29, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EDT) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.
• Thursday, October 31, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EDT) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.
• Tuesday, November 5, 2019 7:30pm-9:00pm (EST) with 9:00pm-9:30pm as question/discussion time.

Course Materials

Required Materials

If you are reading this web page online, then you have everything you need as far as technology.

There will be no books you need to buy.

Required Text

All text will be provided.

Course Schedule

Session 1 -

• What is political poetry?
• Introduction course overview
• Why poetry?
• How can this course be bi-partisan?
• What are some things you are interested in, politically?
• What are you hoping happens?
• Looking at some examples
• Strategies for creating poems
• How to get started

Session 2 –

• How did your writing go?
• To share or not to share
• How to look at your poem as an outsider
• Workshopping our poems
• What is my poem’s intent?
• Looking at some examples
• Next steps

Session 3 –

• How did your writing go?
• To share or not to share
• Review of how to look at your poem as an outsider
• Workshopping our poems
• Focus, Focus, Focus - What is my poem’s intent?
• Looking at some examples
• Next steps

Session 4 –

• How did your writing go?
• To share or not to share
• Review of how to look at your poem as an outsider
• Workshopping our poems
• Focus, Focus, Focus - What is my poem’s intent?
• Looking at some examples
• Next steps

Session 5 –

• How did your writing go?
• To share or not to share
• Finding a target politician
• Finding that politician's mailing address
• Preparing our poems for mailing
• Writing a simple letter with dignity
• Preparing the envelope
• Next steps

Session 6 –

• How did your writing go?
• Sharing stories about our poems
• Other ways to get your poems seen
• How does it feel?
• What to expect now. Is this the end?
• Don’t stop
• Workshop Evaluation
• Next steps

Additional Information and Resources

You can email me anytime about any aspect of the course or related subject at the email address provided on the first page of this document (above).

poemsforpoliticians.com will be updated with reference materials and notes from the course along the way. The purpose of that site is to provide an archive for you to reference. It will also act as a template for others to follow if they want to administer this course on their own. I fully encourage people to use this site as resource for conducting your own classes.

Turning In Your Writing

Since this series is part of my graduate school requirement, I will need to use some examples of your work in my final project. Only your initials will be shared on the writing. My advisor will be the only other person to see your work and it will never be used in any other way. Anything you are willing to share with me will be greatly appreciated. You can email it to me. There will never be any judgement placed on your writing (unless it violates state or federal laws, threatens someone's well being, discloses information that could save lives, or is so stupidly racist or sexist to the point where you need to be publicly shamed).

Workshop Evaluation

At the end of our series of classes, I will provide you with a short evaluation form to fill out. This will become part of the packet I turn in for my graduate school assignment.