Prose Poetry
and
Flash Fiction
Please join Jamey Dunham, Professor of English at Sinclair Community College, for an opportunity to learn about prose poetry and flash fiction. There are even prompts and resources to help you write your own!
Please join Jamey Dunham, Professor of English at Sinclair Community College, for an opportunity to learn about prose poetry and flash fiction. There are even prompts and resources to help you write your own!
A Brief Word on the Prose Poem and Flash Fiction
A Brief Word on the Prose Poem and Flash Fiction
Prose poems and flash fiction have seen a surge in popularity over the last few decades and it's easy to understand why. Short, compact forms, they punch well above their weight and are, pound for pound, two of the most efficient and effective forms in their respective genres.
Prose poems and flash fiction have seen a surge in popularity over the last few decades and it's easy to understand why. Short, compact forms, they punch well above their weight and are, pound for pound, two of the most efficient and effective forms in their respective genres.
While academics expend exorbitant amounts of time and energy attempting to draw distinctions between the two, I generally prefer to dedicate my time to the enjoyment of writing them. However, if pressed on the matter, I suppose I would offer that, for me, the distinguishing characteristic between them likely lies somewhere in their intent. Since I believe flash fiction has, somewhere in its DNA, a proclivity towards following the arc of its plot, it makes sense to me that it seems perpetually heading en route toward some satisfying resolution--though we all know that is not always the case. The prose poem, on the other hand, appears to embark on a similar course but for a very different reason. I believe the prose poem uses the pretense of reaching some destination or running some errand as an excuse to borrow the keys to the car and hit the road. What I believe it really has in mind, however, is the open-ended adventure of a road trip.
While academics expend exorbitant amounts of time and energy attempting to draw distinctions between the two, I generally prefer to dedicate my time to the enjoyment of writing them. However, if pressed on the matter, I suppose I would offer that, for me, the distinguishing characteristic between them likely lies somewhere in their intent. Since I believe flash fiction has, somewhere in its DNA, a proclivity towards following the arc of its plot, it makes sense to me that it seems perpetually heading en route toward some satisfying resolution--though we all know that is not always the case. The prose poem, on the other hand, appears to embark on a similar course but for a very different reason. I believe the prose poem uses the pretense of reaching some destination or running some errand as an excuse to borrow the keys to the car and hit the road. What I believe it really has in mind, however, is the open-ended adventure of a road trip.
Of course, we've all had the experience of arriving at a long sought after destination only to find ourselves disappointed to be off the road or the magic of looking up to find ourselves in some strange new place that seemed to have somehow been calling to us all along. The key then is to follow that initial impulse, that curiosity that leads us to places we create ourselves without ever having known they existed.
Of course, we've all had the experience of arriving at a long sought after destination only to find ourselves disappointed to be off the road or the magic of looking up to find ourselves in some strange new place that seemed to have somehow been calling to us all along. The key then is to follow that initial impulse, that curiosity that leads us to places we create ourselves without ever having known they existed.
Prompts for Writing Prose Poems and Flash Fiction
Prompts for Writing Prose Poems and Flash Fiction
Prose Poem: Write the last paragraph or page of a novel you've never read or written. The fun in this prompt is that you don't have to avoid the trappings of cliche endings but can instead gleefully lean into them and embrace them. Think of the epic westerns with their hero riding off into the prairie sunset. Imagine what you will find when the dust finally settles on that strange alien planet after worlds literally collide. And don't forget about romance novels--the bated breath, the heaving bosoms and all those hearts made to break like fortune cookies. Have fun and remember, you are using the pretense of the story like a diving board. We all know it will end up wet and smelling of chlorine, the fun is what happens while you're up there in the air...the bottle-openers, the back-flip, and, above all, the sacred cannonball!
Prose Poem: Write the last paragraph or page of a novel you've never read or written. The fun in this prompt is that you don't have to avoid the trappings of cliche endings but can instead gleefully lean into them and embrace them. Think of the epic westerns with their hero riding off into the prairie sunset. Imagine what you will find when the dust finally settles on that strange alien planet after worlds literally collide. And don't forget about romance novels--the bated breath, the heaving bosoms and all those hearts made to break like fortune cookies. Have fun and remember, you are using the pretense of the story like a diving board. We all know it will end up wet and smelling of chlorine, the fun is what happens while you're up there in the air...the bottle-openers, the back-flip, and, above all, the sacred cannonball!
Flash Fiction: Find a photograph online or choose one of your own, the less staged the better. Ruminate on the picture for a while. The best choice for this prompt is a scene captured at an unexpected or unguarded moment. Ask yourself, what would you title the piece? Don't go for the obvious but let your mind wander. Could a seemingly cheerful children's party be named "The Funeral?" What about the man on the beach, the older gentleman by himself looking off with his face turned from the camera? Maybe he's your uncle? Maybe he's a deranged serial killer? Maybe he's you, the picture the only clue found on your person when they brought you into the hospital? Now rewind, get us to the moment that ends in your picture. Have fun with it and remember, the harder it is to get there, as with most things, the more rewarding it will be in the end.
Flash Fiction: Find a photograph online or choose one of your own, the less staged the better. Ruminate on the picture for a while. The best choice for this prompt is a scene captured at an unexpected or unguarded moment. Ask yourself, what would you title the piece? Don't go for the obvious but let your mind wander. Could a seemingly cheerful children's party be named "The Funeral?" What about the man on the beach, the older gentleman by himself looking off with his face turned from the camera? Maybe he's your uncle? Maybe he's a deranged serial killer? Maybe he's you, the picture the only clue found on your person when they brought you into the hospital? Now rewind, get us to the moment that ends in your picture. Have fun with it and remember, the harder it is to get there, as with most things, the more rewarding it will be in the end.
Prominent Practitioners of Prose Poetry and Flash Fiction
Prominent Practitioners of Prose Poetry and Flash Fiction
Jamey Dunham
Jamey Dunham
Professor of English, Sinclair Community College
Professor of English, Sinclair Community College
Jamey Dunham is a Professor of English at Sinclair Community College. His prose poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and several anthologies including Great American Prose Poems: from Poe to the Present and The Best American Poetry 2005. He is the author of The Bible of Lost Pets (Salt Modern Poets, 2009) and Co-Editor of An Introduction to the Prose Poem (Firewheel Editions, 2009/2021) with poet Brian Clements.
For more information visit
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