"I am trying to check my habits of seeing, to counter them for the sake of greater freshness. I am trying to be unfamiliar with what I'm doing." - John Cage


Sunday, January 13, 2019

Free Poetry Talk with Molly Fisk, Nevada County Poet Laureate comes to Philosophy, Truckee

FREE WINTER POETRY HOURS

FRIDAY, MARCH 8 AT 12PM/NOON

Philosophy, 10412 Donner Pass Road, Truckee
https://www.truckeephilosophy.com/

What is a Poet Laureate and what they do?

A poet laureate is someone chosen—originally by kings, now by governments and civic groups—to represent a region by composing poems for special occasions, reading in public, and helping to focus attention on poetry as an art form. Laureate refers to wearing a crown of laurel leaves, a symbol of honor in Ancient Greece for poets and heroes.
The Nevada County Poet Laureate Program was inaugurated at Sierra Poetry Festival in 2017 in the presence of California Poet Laureate, Dana Gioia. Our program involves writing poems to commemorate county events (the opening of the Madelyn Helling Library's new amphitheater, for instance), reading (at the Sierra Poetry Festival, the Yuba Lit readings, etc.), and developing one or more projects to boost community involvement in poetry.
Current Poet Laureate Molly Fisk has sponsored a community-written poem, run a month of daily writing prompts for county residents, and met with interested locals during monthly designated Poetry Hours in county cafés and wine bars to answer questions and discuss poetry.
Molly Fisk is the author of the poetry collections, The More Difficult Beauty, Listening to Winter, Terrain (co-author), and Salt Water Poems and the essay collections Houston, We Have a PossumUsing Your Turn Signal Promotes World Peace; and Blow-Drying a Chicken. Her essays have aired weekly as part of the News Hour of KVMR-FM Nevada City, CA since 2005. https://www.nevadacountyarts.org/nevada-county-poet-laureate/

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Openings now available for this winter's Advanced Revision & Craft sessions: 2/7, 3/7, 4/11, and 5/9!

In this intimate workshop, the goal is to revise your first draft by pushing further to the next level, strengthening your writing skills, and simultaneously exploring meaning in your writing. Attention Nanowrimo-ers! This workshop is deadline- and goal-oriented to complete the next draft of a project for publication.  You will get professional feedback for developing the heart of the subject as well as the structure and organization of your project. 
Learn techniques to creatively unearth what really matters so that your writing stands out as surprising and original to an editor. We will meet from 5-8 pm on the first or second Thursday of each month. Expect readings and deadlines to keep you accountable and move your writing forward. $220 for four months. 5-8 pm. Tea and snacks.