Tag Archives: local poetry classes

An Afternoon with Four CT Poet Laureates

April is National Poetry Month. Join us for an afternoon of words and conversation featuring four Connecticut Poet Laureates. Free event featuring Sandy Carlson of Woodbury, Rick Magee of Bethel, Deborah Rose of New Milford, and Faith Vicinanza of Southbury.

Sandy Lee Carlson lives with her family in Woodbury, where she is poet laureate. Sandy has published several collections of poetry, and she hosts the literary podcasts Woodbury Writes (in collaboration with Woodbury Public Library) and People and Their Poems. You’ll find her work on her website, sandycarlson.net.

Rick Magee,

Rick Magee teaches literature and writing class at Sacred Heart University. He has been published in the American Journal of Poetry, The Madrigal, New Note Poetry, and in An Áitiúil, an anthology of poetry about the Irish landscape. He is the Poet Laureate of Bethel, where he lives with his wife and son.

Deborah Rose is a writer, photographer, poet, and award-winning journalist. A native of New Milford, she is editor, writer, and photographer for the Town of New Milford’s tourism and community website, www.NewMilfordNow.org. Deborahwas appointed New Milford Poet Laureate in 2022 and facilitates the New Milford Public Library poetry workshop. She is VP of Public Relations for the Ostomy Foundation in New Milford, vice president of Kent News, Inc., and serves on several town committees.

Faith Vicinanza is the author of four collections of poetry and is currently working on several new collections and a memoir. She has served as a Connecticut Master Teaching Artist, an editor for several literary magazines, and as the founder and executive director of the Connecticut Poetry Festival. In 2003 she was a recipient of the Connecticut Commission on the Arts Advocates for the Arts Award.

COVID POLICY – Until further notice, proof of vaccination is not required to attend classes or workshops. Masks remain optional.

Writing Poetry Inspired by Art – A Writing Workshop

Writing Ekphrastic Poetry

Come kick off National Poetry Month with a workshop led by Southbury Poet Laureate Faith Vicinanza. Students will write poems inspired by fine art, using the current exhibition in our gallery as a catalyst. The instructor will guide students through the process of accessing the paintings; there will be an opportunity to share work, if students desire.

An ekphrastic poem is a vivid description of a scene or, more commonly, a work of art. Through the imaginative act of narrating and reflecting on the “action” of a painting or sculpture, the poet may amplify and expand its meaning. A notable example is “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” in which the poet John Keats speculates on the identity of the lovers who appear to dance and play music, simultaneously frozen in time and in perpetual motion.

The fee for the workshop is $15. Class size is limited to 10 attendees.

Ms. Vicinanza was appointed the Poet Laureate of Southbury in October, 2022 for a three-year term to serve as an advocate for the importance of poetry in the community and in the world.

Ms. Vicinanza has served as a Master Teaching Artist in Poetry for the Connecticut Commission on the Arts, as editor for several literary magazines, and as the founder and executive director of the Connecticut Poetry Festival (1997, 2001, 2003).

She is the author of four collections of poetry and is currently working on several new collections and a memoir.

A member of two national slam poetry teams, Ms. Vicinanza competed in National Slam Championships in 1994 and 1996. She was a member of the U.S. Slam Team that competed in Sweden in 1997, as well as the executive director of the 1997 National Poetry Slam Championships held in Middletown, Connecticut, the largest poetry event in the state’s history.

Ms. Vicinanza has been featured in venues from Stockholm, Sweden to San Francisco, has been a poet laureate nominee for Connecticut and is the recipient of the 2003 Connecticut Commission on the Arts Advocates for the Arts Award.

*Students must be registered and paid in full three business days before the start of the class/workshop. Exceptions only with permission from the Director of Writing Programs.

COVID POLICY – Until further notice, proof of vaccination is not required to attend classes. Masks remain optional.

Poetry for Everyone

The fee for the workshop is $35. Class size is limited to 20 attendees.

Bonnie Riedinger is a writer and artist. Her poetry has been published in journals based in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. She received her MFA in poetry and fiction from The Ohio State University and has taught creative writing at several colleges and universities. She has been a journalist and editor with non-fiction publications in numerous newspapers and magazines including the Writer’s Chronicle. She enjoys helping students, whether beginning or advanced, advance their writing goals and experience the joy of creativity.

**Our top priority is the safety of our students, instructors & staff. Please note: classes may be cancelled if we feel it is not safe, and your tuition will be refunded.

COVID POLICY – Only fully vaccinated students will be permitted to attend classes. Physical proof of vaccination will be requested on the first day of class (one time only). Don’t forget to bring your vaccination card.