Interdisciplinary Arts 0260 - The Mindful Poet

Can a poem be a contemplative space? This generative workshop is designed for practicing poets who are interested in the effects of meditation/mindfulness practice on their writing and creativity. Workshop members will spend the first 10-20 minutes of each session actively engaged in meditation. The remainder of each class period will be spent in one of three ways: writing and creating work in response to prompts, discussing common readings, sharing work, and/or offering feedback to peers. Students will also present the work of published authors to the class and offer written response to published work. Each workshop member will maintain a self-designed "mindfulness book" (an unpolished creative document/journal) and-in the course of the semester-will workshop and revise a minimum of three pieces of creative writing. In order to successfully complete the workshop, students must submit a portfolio of work that includes revised/finalized writing; this writing can take the form of poetry, fiction, or essay (or it might be some hybrid form). Instructor permission is required. Students must attend the first day of class in order to be considered for enrollment. Prerequisite: One college-level poetry workshop

Independent Work Beyond class meeting time, students should expect to spend at least six to eight hours per week on preparation and work. This time includes reading, writing, meditation, research, responding to peer and published work, and may include required attendance at, or participation in, writing-related events.