Friday, April 13, 2012

Writing Workshop

At our AGM Sunday Miscellany expert, Caroline, suggested we have a series of workshops for the group and in the best spirit of delegation we agreed and put her in charge of organising the event.

We were lucky to get the services of poet and creative writer tutor, Barbara Smith, who held the first session last evening. The ten members present enjoyed the experience and claimed to have learned a lot from the exercises. We'll be watching and reporting on any improvements noticed!!!

Barbara asked each participant to bring three "precious objects" and there was a fascinating array of things on show - a pair of socks, a radio, photographs, various small figures, books and notebooks etc. These were used in a series of exercises aimed at creating a fictional character in which poets and prose writers were catered for.

Barbara read this poem, Mummy of a Lady Named Jemutesonekh by Thomas James as an example of a combination of research and suggestion to produce an intriguing piece of writing.

Barbara, like myself, is in the final stages of correcting the proofs for her forthcoming poetry collection with Doghouse. The launch of her The Angel's Share is in Dundalk on Wednesday, 23 May.

She also has a guest review of a poetry collection on this blog.

2 comments:

AquaMarina said...

thanks for link to Mummy of a Lady Michael. I've never met this poet before and have just been reading about him on Poetry Foundation, intriguing poems!

Michael Farry said...

Thanks AM. Yes I never heard of him either. A striking poem.