English 327 - Writing Poetry II: Visual Poetry and Poetics

At its core, a visual poem is a radical collaboration between visual and textual methods that experiments with the open field of the page to generate lyric potential. This advanced poetry workshop will focus on this emerging tradition of radical visual-textual hybrid artmaking, centering writerly process over final product, and potentiality-driven experiments with the space of the page. Starting from Douglas Kearney’s assertion that his “poetry is often guided by an impulse to fail,” this class will write our own collective craft lexicon of visual poetics, with topics of study which include line and space(ing), visual syntax, collage, hybridity, erasure, and docu-poetics. Class time will center theory-informed discussions of creative works, as well as practical software demonstrations and peer workshop critique. This workshop’s final project will culminate in producing extensive visual poem installations, individually and collectively. We will examine the critical and creative works of artists such as Douglas Kearney, Etel Adnan, Anthony Cody, Renee Gladman, Claire Meuschke, Fargo Tbakhi, and Tarik Dobbs. 

Limited to 12 students. At least one 200-level creative writing workshop (poetry strongly preferred) or one 200-level visual art class (studio art class in any medium, not an art history class) required. Fall semester. Writer-in-Residence Abraham.

How to handle overenrollment: Preference will be given to upper-level English majors in the case of over-enrollment.

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: emphasis on written work, readings, visual analysis, artistic work, and peer critique.