Midsummer Writing

“There are not enough jam jars to can this summer sky at night. I want to spread those little meteors on a hunk of still-warm bread this winter.”

– from Summer Haibun, by Aimee Nezhukumatathil*

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

Summer solstice, the longest day of the year (and the shortest night) in the Northern hemisphere, evokes dreams (thank you, Shakespeare) and mysticism (thank you, Stonehenge), light and fanciful flights of inspiration and imagination. The bright moments of midsummer remind me of those illuminating moments we find in poetry. So let’s look to the brilliance of midsummer poetry for our enlightenment.

Together, we will practice shared reading and use a blend of creative, expressive, and reflective writing approaches – flow writing, poetry making, metaphor, life writing – as writing prompts. In this supportive, confidential space, you will have the opportunity to share your writing, though you are never obligated to do so, as well as reflect on others’ writing.

This workshop is about self-development rather than literary-development. No formal experience or preparation is needed, just a willingness to give writing a go! Simply bring a desire to share, reflect and experiment with words (and paper and pen). 
 
From a recent participant: “I had fun playing with words and inventing my own even.  I liked discarding the rules and just being free with the language.  In that sense, writing the poem itself was an act of controlling and letting go.”

STUDY DETAILS

• Reading and writing workshop facilitated by Alison Cable
• Three-session study spanning the summer solstice on 21 June
• Tuesdays: 14, 21, 28 June, 4.00-5.30 pm (BST)
• £60, including introductory notes
• Please note this workshop is about self-development rather than literary-development. 

*Copyright © 2017 by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on August 7, 2017, by the Academy of American Poets.