There I Was Without a Face & It Touched Me: When Poets Love to Write Poetry for August’s Virtual Poem-Making Workshop
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The title of his poetry workshop for beginning or seasoned poets comes from a line of poetry by Pablo Neruda. The great Chilean poet was describing the way poetry affected him.
Moreno reported that he was watching the movie "Il Postino," a film about Neruda’s relationship with a postman. The movie was over, and Moreno was watching the credits on VHS when a few lines of the poem, Poetry, appeared. Moreno stated that the words mesmerized him, and he had to rewind the film until he had copied all the words in the poem.
When we read a poem, written by a poet in love with the art, how does it affect us? This class will review men and women poets whose love for the spoken word embodies what Moreno calls IMIC: Inspiration, Motivation, Imagination, Contagion. In other words, a poem inspires us, then motivates us to write, then calls the gift of our imagination, then creates contagious composition among anyone hearing the poem and is inspired by the sound, the rhythm, & the story of the poem.
The first 90 minutes will include poetry from Rumi, Kim Rosen, Kalil Gibran, and Naomi Shihab Nye that may inspire healing, hope, and kindness in the poets attending this class. Film clips of these poets will be blended with poems read by Moreno that counter hate and ignorance and might be named poetry for trying times. Moreno remembers Neruda’s quote that the poet’s task is to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable.
The great American poet William Stafford stated this about the work of Naomi Shihab Nye: her poems combine transcendent liveliness & sparkle with warmth and human insight. She is a champion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work enhances life.
The second 90 minutes moves the poetry to local poets who have inspired Moreno: Sharon Elise, Steve Kowit (R.I. P.), Delores Fisher, Rudy Francisco, and Joe Milosch are strong storytellers who hold the promise of inspiration to any who will carve out time to listen.
If you are looking for a critique group this is not the class for you. This class, as are all Jim’s classes, is taught in a container of safety and respect.