A workshop with Yehoshua November.

February 8, 12-3 pm EST

Given contemporary poetry’s largely secular leanings, it’s not surprising that few poets today celebrate supernatural miracles, overtly religious experiences, or Divinity, in general. But how does one explain contemporary poetry’s tendency to insist on profound meaning in the ordinary—a tendency that, at times, appears to border on obsession? In this workshop, we will look at a Chassidic text that might speak to this seeming paradox. Then, with this teaching in mind, we will read several contemporary poems and go on to write our own pieces that attempt to spiritualize the ordinary.  We will also branch out into several additional prompts with a variety of craft elements in mind.