Writing about flowers and nature and love feels wonderful. But there's also the urgency of being able to write about other beautiful things--like justice, equality and humanity. Poetry is, fortunately, a container for many topics, and poets have played a valuable role in speaking out against injustice on the page. How can you strengthen your voice to write powerful poems that speak to issues you care about? We'll spend some time with poets who do this well and then write two poems about issues that you are concerned about.
Ciona Rouse is the author of the chapbook Vantablack (Third Man Books, 2017) and poetry editor of WORDPEACE online journal. Her work can be found in The Account, Gabby Journal, Native Magazine, Matter: a journal of political poetry and commentary, and Talking River. She lives in Nashville, Tenn., where she co-hosts Re/Verb, a podcast where music, literature, and pop culture collide, with the poet Kendra DeColo, and also curates many local poetry experiences and reading series.
Ciona was a dream. The perfect person to help people gain confidence while compiling work.
Ciona Rouse is encouraging and accepting as she prods us to develop, expand and edit and re-edit our poetry. I am so happy to have taken her workshop. The piece of work I created would not have been possible without her coaching and guidance.
Ciona is amazing, she is clearly on a very high level. I was lucky to study with some detail oriented professors and she does a great job of getting the same high level of information out and doesn't get lost in theory or go on unnecessary tangents. She is really unique and talented in how she is able to keep everyone focused and making sure they absorb all the world-class insight she provides. She is a real treasure for the city of Nashville.
