Writing About Addiction, Excess, & Power: An Online Poetry Workshop

In a literary culture that often romanticizes sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll, there seems to be a moat of silence around the topic of what happens when a life of excess implodes, explodes, or otherwise causes pain and destruction. This course is certainly not puritanical, but rather will be looking at poetry that examines addictive thinking and the inner turmoil that encourages many to turn to addictive behaviors. We will read poetry about power and powerlessness, about want and disgust, about the lonely life of the party. This course will include an online workshop of student work and will also discuss poems by Franz Wright, Lynda Hull, Jack McCarthy, Terrance Hayes, Natalie Diaz, and others. Upon occasion, relevant essays, short stories, and YouTube clips may also be assigned. Writers should have some interest in the topic of addiction, a strong respect for anonymity, and an investment in creating a safe space for the workshop. This online course will be run primarily via a bloglike format, but we will also use Google Hangouts to have an electronic face-to-face workshop toward the end of the class.