At The Starting Line: On Poetic Openings with Amanda Moore (via Zoom)

A poem’s title and first lines are its opening gambit, the moves that first declare its form, intention, and tone to the reader. How can we write and revise openings that draw our readers in and help lay the foundation for our work on the page? In this workshop we will look to great titles, first lines, and the interplay between the two for instruction and inspiration. We will break down and examine various modes of opening by exploring syntax, rhetorical modes, and speech acts, and we will consider the poem’s ending to determine how it makes good on its opening gambit or meaningfully subverts it. As part of our time together, we will work through several generative prompts that will lead us to revise poems in progress and create new work.

NB: This class will be taught on Zoom (Saturday, November 16, 12:30-4:40 PM ET) and will be capped at 15 students. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the email address they use to register. It will arrive immediately after registration so please check your spam folder if you do not receive it. It will also be sent the day before class as a reminder. Please review the course policies page before registering for any classes. Please email misty@writerscenter.org with any questions.

All HVWC scholarship applications will be available on May 1 and will be due on May 15 for all summer/fall 2024 classes.

Amanda Moore’s debut collection of poetry, Requeening, was selected for the National Poetry Series by Ocean Vuong and was published by Ecco in 2021. It was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award and featured in Oprah’s O Magazine Favorite Things issue. Her poems, essays, and translations have appeared in journals and anthologies, including Best New Poets, ZZYZVA, Catapult, Ploughshares, and LitHub. A high school teacher, freelance editor, and workshop leader, Amanda lives near the beach in San Francisco, California with her husband and daughter. More at http://amandapmoore.com.