And the Spring Series is Outta Here

Hardy thanks to David Gewanter for delivering a fantastic workshop and a colorful reading.  Special thanks to SDSU’s own David Matlin for sharing his work.

Once again, our Drop Us A Line experiment was a success.  Read the poem, Nouns Turn Me On, here.

This is the final installment in the Spring 2010 Workshop & Reading Series, but don’t panic, we’ll be back with a whole new cast of characters in the Fall.  Please note that this website will no longer be updated.  For news and information on the Fall Reading & Workshop Series, click here.  (Warning: Site is still under construction, but should be functioning by September.)

Thanks again to everyone who helped to make our series a smashing success!

Last Event of the Season!

Thank you to everyone who made Carol Frost’s events here at SDSU a raging success!  Her workshop on Sunday was outstanding, with Carol extolling the virtues of emulation in learning poetry.  “Great poems can teach you how to write great poetry,” she said.  “Then you won’t need teachers.”  Which prompted Ilya  to lean over to her and fake-whisper, “Shhh!  You’re not supposed to tell them that.“  All in all, it was an entertaining and highly informative workshop.

On Monday, after Carol read her poetry, which included a few poems from her upcoming book, the audience was invited to contribute lines to yet another “Drop Us A Line” collaborative poem.  You can read the poem, entitled I Want to Tell You Something, here.

So here we are, left with only one more event next Monday, May 10th, and it’s going to be a blowout.  Poet David Gewanter will be here, and reading with him is SDSU David Matlin.  So come on out and join in the fun!  100% satisfaction guaranteed.

David Gewanter will be conducting a craft of poetry workshop on Sunday, May 9th (Mother’s Day) at 2pm at SDSU.  Does your mother read, write, or appreciate poetry?  Does she like rubbing elbows with famous poets?  What better way is there to say “thanks for conceiving me” than to sign dear Mom up for a poetry workshop?

The title of this illustrious 3 hour extravaganza is “Stealing from History: Documentary Poems and Their Dangers.” –or– “Trauma Tourist: Vampire-Readers and Victim-Speakers.”

A workshop with a two-part name like that can’t be bad.  So sign up now, dear writers and lovers of literature, before seats fill up!  (email bonds.tony@gmail for info — workshop fees have been reduced to $20 for students, $40 for non students.)

Thank You Tiziano Fratus!

We were fortuitous to have Italian poet, Tiziano Fratus, pay us a spirited visit last Monday, April 19th. He has been all over the country, promoting his new book, Creaturing, which is his first collection of poetry for U.S. readers. During his performance, he graciously invited attendees to read his poems out-loud, in English, while he followed with the original, Italian version. (Creaturing  contains both the Italian versions of Fratus’ poetry, and the English translations, translated by poet, and new media artist, Francesco Levato.) Fratus’ poems are passionate and playful. They explore cultural, historical, and traditional tropes with precision and lyricism. In “The Shadows of Hart Crane and Other Visitors,” Fratus channels the voice of Crane, who begs to be “let go” by the speaker of the poem:

don’t hide under glass like a museum display, go out

in the street, feel the bodies, hear the voices, fight, get dirty and let me

go

After his unique performance, Fratus took time to discuss his life as a publisher, (he launched the independent poetry press, Edizioni Torino Poesia in 2007), as well as the current status of poetry in Italy. Though his English is limited, as he bashfully disclosed at the beginning of the reading, he fielded numerous questions from the audience with great humor and patience. We hope to invite Tiziano Fratus back to SDSU in the near future for another delightful, bilingual reading!

Last chance to sign up for Carol Frost Workshop

Just a quick reminder to everyone that the fee for Carol Frost’s workshop has been slashed dramatically.  Her workshop on the craft of poetry will cost only $10 for any member of the community.

The workshop is called The Art of Sound.  The class will look at different designs and values in rhythm,meter, cadence, syllable, sentence (rhetoric and syntax), then try them generatively and as possibilities for revision.

Whether you are a student or not, this is an amazing opportunity to work with a first-rate poet.  Click here for details, or just email bonds.tony@gmail.com to set up your reservation.  We look forward to seeing you there!

New Event Added

Good news everyone, we have another author coming to SDSU very soon.  Italian poet, Tiziano Fratus will be giving a FREE seminar/reading on Monday, April 19th at 7 p.m. in Hepner Hall 206, on SDSU campus.

Fratus will discuss contemporary poetry and publishing in Italy (specifically), and Europe (in general), and will read from his new book, Creaturing. Selected Poems, Translated by Francesco Levato (Marick Press). He will read poems in both Italian and English.

In addition to being a seminar/reading, this event is also a potluck!  It’s open to the public, you don’t have to be a student to attend.  No cost, no sign-ups, so bring your favorite dishes, tell your friends, and get ready to consume good food and great poetry!

More info here.

Cheers to a knockout MFA Weekend!

…even our mothers have no idea how we were born

how we parted their legs and crawled out into the world

the way you crawl from the ruins after a bombing

Valzhyna Mort, “Belarusian I”

Our MFA Community had many reasons to lionize this past weekend! Our celebration commenced at The Ink Spot (home of San Diego Writers, Ink) with a spirited reading from MFA Alum, Deniz Perin, and internationally acclaimed Poet, Valzhyna Mort.

Before the reading began, Meagan Marshal asked members of the audience to read clips of poems that had been taped to the bottoms of chairs.  One by one, people read and thus an exquisite corpse was born.  But we took it one step further: everyone was invited to write a quote, or a memorable line from a poem and put in in a box that said, aptly, “Drop Us a Line.”  (The pun never stops.)  And now, we have the results of our collective poem, that collected corpse, and you can Read It Here.

After a glowing introduction by former classmate and writer Tina Cabrera, Deniz Perin read selections from her forthcoming publication, a translation of Ece Temelkuran’s poetry collection, Book of the Edge as well as some of her own work from her thesis manuscript. Her eclectic poetry and translations prove testament to the versatility and dynamism of our MFA Program.

Pre-order Book of the Edge on Amazon by clicking here

And click here to check it out on the publisher’s website.

Poet, Valzhyna Mort, clinched the evening with an incendiary performance. Following the layout of her book, Factory of Tears, she read in a bilingual format, sharing poems in her native Belarusian, and in English.  Though the room was packed, the wine bottles emptied, Mort captivated and thrilled with her incantatory verse.  Her books sold out even before the reading was over, so if you’re still itching for a copy, follow the link above.

Mort continued to captivate during her poetry workshop on Saturday.  She urged us to “put every word on trial” and to seek “truth” when writing and editing. We examined several poems, and worked on in-class prompts, one that gave us the opportunity to become translators—as Mort stated, “All poetry is translation. The poet translates images and ideas from mind to paper.”

Slots for our upcoming workshop are filling up fast , so if you haven’t had a chance to participate in one, email Tony at bonds.tony@gmail.com and sign up!

The MFA Weekend was a smashing success! Gracious thanks to Valzhyna Mort, Deniz Perin, San Diego Writers, Ink and all those who participated, attended, and dropped us a line!

See you next time!

Katherine Towler has left the building

Thanks again to Katherine Towler for coming to San Diego State and delivering a fantastic workshop, as well as a first-rate reading .

In the workshop on Sunday, we looked at two essential elements that make good fiction: memorable scenes and complex characters.  After an in-depth discussion of these issues, and many great questions from the workshop participants, we went on to do some writing ourselves.  Overall, and I think I can safely speak for all of us who attended, it was a pleasant and rewarding experience.

The reading on Monday was packed, again.  MFA student Andy Stewart read some of his original fiction, followed by SDSU Professor Joseph Thomas, who delivered a tasty sample of his playful and witty poetry.  Katherine Towler, with the cool control of an inveterate storyteller, read an excerpt from her book, Snow Island.

Check out pictures from this event on our new Event Photos page.

Thanks again to all those who attended, and if you couldn’t make it, come to our next event with Valzhana Mort and Deniz Perin at the Ink Spot on March 19.

Until then, happy reading and happy writing!

Up Next: Katherine Towler’s Fiction Workshop

For those who may not know, Katherine Towler is the only author in the Spring Workshop & Reading Series offering a workshop  concerning the craft of fiction.  (All the others are doing poetry or translation workshops.)

Katherine Towler’s workshop will focus on structuring a story around scenes & how to create complicated characters.  We will also look at the work of published authors, and complete writing exercises that  will strengthen our muscles for writing palpable scenes and characters.

It’s sure to be a treat.  Seats are going fast, so if you’re interested be sure to register now!

And even if you can’t make it to her workshop, don’t miss Katherine Towler’s reading this Monday with SDSU’s own Joseph Thomas.

Thank You Rachel Galvin

Rachel Galvin’s workshop and reading went off without a hitch, but the weekend wasn’t totally drama-free.  On Friday night her flight was cancelled because of the outrageous snow storms in the New Jersey area.  For unknown reasons, she was re-booked on a flight that would have her arrive in San Diego Monday afternoon, just before her Tuesday morning departure home.  But the poetry gods intervened and she was able to make it Sunday morning, just before the workshop that afternoon.

The workshop was productive and inspiring, and her reading (in English as well as Spanish) was an absolute joy.  Many people, even some students from other universities in our community, attended the Meet & Greet before the reading and chatted with Rachel, who in spite of her stature and amazing talent, is surprisingly approachable.  Overall, the weekend was a smashing success.

If you have not been able to attend any of the events in the Spring Workshop & Reading Series, just ask someone who has and they’ll tell you how warm, welcoming, and energetic these events are turning out to be.  Thanks again to everyone who attended either Rachel’s workshop or her reading, and for making these events so successful!

Reduced Workshop Rates

In an effort to extend the benefit of our authors’ workshops to the greater San Diego community, we’re offering a limited time discount on workshop fees.  Non-student and alumni rates have been reduced from $50 to just $40.

The offer is for a limited time, only until March 8th.  But the discount applies to all authors in our series.  So if you’re a non-student or an SDSU alumnus, you can sign up for any authors’ workshop at this discounted rate, as long as you sign up before March 8th.

We can’t wait for Rachel Gavin’s workshop this Sunday, the 28th, where she will host a “new work” poetry workshop, discuss her own approach to craft and style, and discuss PhD programs and life after the MFA.

But even if you can’t make it to the workshop, don’t miss the opportunity to rub elbows with Rachel Gavin at the “Meet and Greet” in Arts & Letters room 266 at 4:30 pm, this Monday, March 1st.  Immediately following this event, join her at 5:30pm for her big poetry reading in Love Library room 430 on campus.

We’ll see you there!