Talking to the Gods in an Online Poetry Workshop
ON THREE CONSECUTIVE
Wednesdays in March, Taos poet and author Veronica Golos will facilitate an online workshop titled “Reading Deeply, Writing Deeply: 3 Women Poets Talk to the Gods.” The workshop is one of many that Golos has led throughout her writing career, and will focus on the works of three distinct poets: Lucille Clifton, Louise Gluck and Natalia Toledo.
The author of four award-winning poetry books, Golos is on the faculty of Tupelo Press’ Writers Conference. She also teaches for Hugo House, Gemini Ink and SOMOS. She is the former editor of the Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion, and the former co-editor of the Taos Journal of International Poetry and Art. I caught up with Golos to learn about her new workshop.
How did you decide on the topic of talking to the Gods?
Perhaps without realizing it, I chose this topic because it is relevant today — to society and to myself. We face such assured voices, and these poets open up questions, doubt and love.
What is the significance of choosing to focus on these particular poets?
These three poets seem to be speaking of, or to, or about gods. By naming them or relying on myths, they raise questions for the reader to think about. Louise Gluck and Lucille Clifton both speak in the voice of the Other, termed Persona: Louise in the voice of the flowers in the garden of Eden, and Lucille in the voice of Lucifer. Natalia Toledo, a Mexican Toltec writer, speaks in three languages; Toltec, Spanish and English, about the gods of Toltec.
What is it about poetry that speaks to you?
I think poetry offers a certain way of looking at the world and filtering it through words. Poetry offers a reader insight into themselves. Fiction takes us out of ourselves, hoping to hold us in the world of the story. Poetry brings us closer, to what I believe is our humanness.
Does an individual need to have writing experience to participate in the workshop?
Anyone can attend and is welcome to do so. A week before each session, every participant will receive a packet of poems for that poet and will also receive suggestions for the participant’s poems. This is a generative workshop where we will discuss both the poet’s and the participant’s work.
What if someone wants to attend the workshop but isn’t yet ready to write?
Sometimes, it is more productive to listen, and see how both the discussion of the three received poems go and the deep discussion of individual poems by the participants. Some writers need a time of deep reflection before they begin the journey of writing a poem and that is completely okay. Golo’s goal for her workshop is that participants leave with a sense of community, an appreciation for the three poets and for the poetry that emerges from the discussions.