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Poetry Workshop "Constriction and Expansion" | Tinted Trails (hybrid)

Published September 12th, 2023 Event

Saturday, November 11, 2023 | 11:30 am – 1 pm (CET)
Afro-Asian Institute, Leechgasse 24, A-8010 Graz & online

With Olja Alvir.

!!SOLD OUT!!

***

Admit constraints:
then, having admitted,
fill with discovery.
— Anthony Froshaug

Poetry, and it can be argued arts at large, are characterized by a delicate and specific relationship between constraints – such as material, form, and personal ability – and abundance – e.g. of themes, imagery, metaphor, and symbolism. One of the things writers manage in order to get a poem down on the page is the balance between these two forces.

Thus,recognizing the importance of (the rubbing against) restriction and (the desire for) expansion is an essential part of production. Having understood these concepts, one can then use them to get creative and get inspired. Restricting oneself by adhering to certain poetic forms can add variety to one’s body of work, help develop a personal style, and also allow one to surprise oneself. At the same time, there are few things more inspiring than the abundance of fascinating and iridescent words and terms that already exist, just waiting to be found like pearls on a beach. Who hasn’t fallen in love with a new word or concept they’ve just encountered and found immensely poetic and inspiring? These are the two main writing techniques that this workshop will focus on. The constrictions will be poetic forms like the Golden Shovel, and the expansion will take place in the vast field of word inspiration that is (online) dictionaries.

In this workshop, participants will go on a (metaphorical) archaeological expedition and learn how to use and adapt the principles of constriction and expansion for their own writing. By providing concrete impulses and steps for conceptualizing and writing poetry, this workshop will enhance the participants’ ability to find reliable ways to create distinct and inspired work.

***

10 spots available (first come, first serve).

Participation fee: 5€ *

Register at info@tintjournal.com or via Ko-fi (online participation | in-person participation) until Friday, Nov. 10, 9 PM. Kindly let us know whether you’d like to participate in-person or online.

 

This workshop is part of the Tinted Trails festival program. For more information, click here.

* The workshop participation fee is waived for Megaphon vendors. If you are a Megaphon vendor and would like to participate in our Tinted Trails workshops for free, please contact us at info@tintjournal.com.

Supported by:

Land Steiermark: Kultur, Europa, Außenbeziehungen
Stadt Graz