The Personal Mythology of Organic Poetry

Paul Nelson

908 I St. N.E. #4

Auburn WA 98002

Spring 2009: Hugo Writing Class Proposal

If anything of the moment results–so much the better. And so much the more likely it will be that no one will want to see it.

– William Carlos Williams

Proposal:

The Personal Mythology of Organic Poetry (6-week class)

Week One (with links!)
Week Two
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6

Who are you now and who are you becoming? To what do you train your attention? Organic Poetry is one way to describe the process of training your ear to capture the chaotic energy of the moment, to make composition an occasion of experience. This entertaining workshop for serious writers of all levels of experience includes lively discussions and sound from interviews with poets McClure, Myles, Rothenberg, Ginsberg, Waldman. Through a series of intensifying creative writing exercises over the six week course, you will develop an understanding of your own personal mythology and write at that deeper level of consciousness.

BIO

Longer: Chicago Native Paul Nelson’s a poet, father, teacher, founder of the non-profit Global Voices Radio and co-founder of SPLAB! He's interviewed hundreds of authors and poets, such as Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, Michael McClure, Jean Houston, Rupert Sheldrake, Wanda Coleman, Matthew Fox, Jerome Rothenberg and others for a syndicated public affairs radio program. Having worked in radio for 26 years, Paul earned an M.A. from Lesley University on Organic Poetry, and his first book of poems, A Time Before Slaughter, will be published by Apprentice House in April.

Shorter: Paul Nelson, M.A. has completed the first book of a long poem re-enacting Auburn history entitled A Time Before Slaughter (Apprentice House, April 2009) and writes at least one American Sentence every day. www.OrganicPoetry.org www.SPlab.org

Day/Time Schedule: Having never facilitated a six week Saturday course, that would be my preference, to aid potential signups and my stipend, but I am open. This may change in two weeks, as I find out about a high school teaching position, but that still leaves M-F, 5P-10 and weekends open. Thanks for your consideration.