**This course will be taught on Zoom**
This workshop explores four ways of writing poetry from the Near and Far East: (1) The Japanese tradition of haiku, using images of nature to express human emotion and the miracle of the moment. (2) The haibun – a flash memoir, prose poem or travel story, where 2 or 3 short paragraphs culminate in a haiku or a tanka. The haiku takes the prose of the haibun even further, to an epiphany, a mystery, or a koan. (3) The tanka, a Japanese poem of five lines, can be a love poem or an exploration of an event or a mood. (4) The ghazal, from the Sufi tradition in Persia, is often used to explore meditative and philosophical ideas. All writers are welcome, regardless of experience. Diane Frank's teaching style is joyful, loving, and intuitive
Week by Week Outline
Week 1:
The Japanese tradition of haiku, using images of nature to express human emotion and the miracle of the moment.
The Writer’s Toolbox: Ideas and techniques to write with power, beauty and wisdom.
A writing session – writing haikus in the Japanese tradition.
Open mic – where you have the opportunity to share what you have written. .
Week 2:
The tanka, a Japanese poem of five lines, which can be a love poem or a complete description of an event or a mood.
The Writer’s Toolbox – Techniques to write with power, style and vision.
A gentle approach to workshopping poems.
Workshop of writing by course participants.
Week 3:
The haibun – a flash memoir, prose poem or travel story, where 2 or 3 short paragraphs culminate in a haiku or a tanka.
How the haiku or tanka can take the haibun even further, to an epiphany, a mystery, or a koan.
The Writer’s Toolbox – Techniques to write with power, style and vision.
Workshop of writing by course participants.
Week 4:
The haibun, with a focus on your writing.
The Writer’s Toolbox – based on the needs of writers in the workshop.
Workshop of writing by course participants.
Week 5:
The form and structure of the ghazal, from the Sufi tradition in Persia.
How to use the ghazal to explore meditative and philosophical ideas.
The Writer’s Toolbox: Virtuoso Editing Techniques.
Workshop of writing by course participants.
Week 6:
The ghazal, with a focus on your writing.
Open discussion of any remaining issues in your writing process.
Exploring the mystery of language
Ways to stay inspired and keep writing.
Workshop of ghazals by course participant
