Kumu: Noʻu Revilla (nrevilla@hawaii.edu)
Fall 2024 / In person / T / 3:15 – 5:45pm / KUY 409
Course Description
Workshops are a central mode of learning in creative writing programs. In this course, I’m not only interested in what it means to write creatively but also what it means to live a creative life. Throughout the semester, we will contribute to ongoing efforts to decolonize the poetry workshop and cultivate more anti-racist and feminist approaches to feedback. Throughout the semester, each student will develop and revise original poems and lead at least two 30-minute workshops, in which they faciliate feedback about poems composed for this class. This graduate course will also consider practical dimensions of creative writing, such as submitting your work for publication, promoting your work, and earning positive relationships with writing mentors. For students who are writing creative theses or dissertations, this course is designed to help you produce poems as well as useable content for your critical introduction. For students who are not writing creative theses or dissertations, this course will energize your scholarship with creative modes of inquiry, expressive tools, and diverse writing community.
Some advice for the journey ahead: slow down. Be precise. Practice wonder and gratitude. Ask better questions. Read widely. Take time to ground your readers in the world of your poem through imagery and sound. Read your work out loud. Ask others to read your work out loud. Write what compels you but dig deeper than that first burst. ʻEliʻeli kau mai. Surprise lives there.
Other Required Course Materials
- Kai Gaspar, Ulu, Hoʻolana Publishing, 2023
- Felicia Rose Chavez, The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom, Haymarket Books, 2021
All other readings will be made available as hyperlinks or PDFs on Laulima. Students are responsible for downloading, reading, and bringing their copies of the texts with them to each class. I expect every student to read assigned work with intention and curiosity. Be prepared to discuss readings in class. Students are also responsible for coordinating regular access to the Internet and must understand how to navigate their hawaii.edu email accounts and our Laulima website. Check your email and our Laulima website on a regular basis for announcements.