In this course, as a small community of working artists, we will support one another’s efforts to explore themes of loss and survival. We will read and discuss several poets such as Naomi Shihab Nye and Gerard Manley Hopkins, considering how their poems create meaning out of that which is painful and difficult.  How, for example, does the poet bring interesting sounds into a poem about loss? What makes a poem reach out beyond the private journal entry? Weekly writing prompts will center on student experience and specific ways to delve into our own lives for compelling material. As artists, we owe it to ourselves and to one another to show intelligent support during difficult times. Come with an open mind, a courageous heart and a desire to take creative risks.