Poetry Workshop: Yona Harvey

In this generative writing workshop, participants will create new work by challenging notions that the garden (and by association the natural world) is a place of retreat. We’ll experiment with opposing forces in poetry and consider how they enrich the soil of our work. These tensions can be large or small, hard-nosed or humorous, and persistent or fleeting. We’ll move through a series of short prompts followed by one longer prompt that will bind the stems and stakes of our writing. Participants are encouraged to consider beforehand three to four names and descriptions of plants that fascinate them (see link below if needed)—no prior gardening experience with the chosen plants is necessary. Bring an open mind and prepare to surprise yourself as we embark on a journey to engage what Jamaica Kincaid has called “the painful responsibility that comes with being a human being.”

South Carolina Wildlife Federation List of Plants Native to South Carolina can be found at: https://www.scwf.org/native-plant-list