The Turn: the Swerve into the Unknown: a Craft Class with Ellen Bass (Via Zoom)

Writing your way into the unknown is the most thrilling aspect of poetry. If we already knew what we were going to say, there’d be no surprise and little excitement. The turn (or volta) is so essential that in some received forms, like the sonnet, there’s a specific place prescribed for it. But even in free verse, we are always searching for that opening into discovery. By studying poems that make skillful turns, we’ll learn how to careen around those curves so our poems land in new and unpredictable terrain. This class will start with a talk on The Turn, then you’ll have time to write, and then an opportunity to share in small groups.

NB: This is a craft class and not a workshop. It will take place via Zoom. Zoom link instructions will be emailed at the time of registration and again the day of the class. Please check spam filter and email admin@writerscenter.org with questions. Please note: Scholarship applications for this class are due on August 1st. Please read our course policies page before registering for any HVWC class and please see our scholarship page for details on how to apply for a need-based or person of color scholarship.
Please register at:
www.writerscenter.org/calendar/ellenbasscraft/

Poet and educator Ellen Bass is a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets. Her most recent book of poetry, Indigo, was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2020. Previous books include Like a Beggar, a finalist for The Paterson Poetry Prize, The Publishers Triangle Award, The Milt Kessler Poetry Award, The Lambda Literary Award, and the Northern California Book Award; The Human Line; and Mules of Love, which won The Lambda Literary Award. Bass has also written works of nonfiction, including, with Laura Davis, The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, which has sold over a million copies and has been translated into twelve languages. The New Yorker has published ten of Bass’s poems throughout the years, and two have been chosen for The New Yorker podcast. In 2021, Bass was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry. She teaches in the MFA program at Pacific University and lives in Santa Cruz, California.