I am offering what I hope will be a cornerstone of my term as Cupertino’s third Poet Laureate:  a Poetry Memoir Class!

Memoirs can be tricky.   Have you ever thought of writing a memoir, but you aren’t sure how to go about it?  Maybe you’ve started and become stuck.  Maybe you haven’t started because the task seems too enormous.   Or maybe (hopefully!) you are really enjoying the memoir writing process, and you’d like to find a creative way to complement your work.  Yes?  Well, this class is for you.  A poetry memoir is an approachable, definitely doable project!

The class will help writers create a collection of interrelated poems.  In a fun and affirming atmosphere, beginning and experienced poets will discover ways to write about the “cast of characters” and the “settings” of their lives.  There will be plenty of examples and exercises to give poets concrete, meaningful, and productive writing experiences.  Poets can also learn about other writers who work with poetry and memoir, discovering a broader, deeper world of reading to enjoy.

The main goal, of course, is to HAVE FUN while preserving our memories in this beautiful, powerful art form.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a small book of poems for your life?  Yes!  We will write together, and each class session will send participants home with two or more poems for their memoirs.

Attend the whole course or drop in for a day.  Each session will be a stand-alone class, so you won’t be lost in Class 3, for example, if you could not come to Class 1 or 2.

Meetings will be in the Cupertino Library Story Room from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on February 26, March 11, March 25, April 8, and April 22.  There is no fee.  Please bring a notebook.

An RSVP is helpful but not necessary.  Show up spontaneously if you like!  Thanks, everyone.  I hope to see you there.  Oh, and bring your friends.