Writing Friends: An Open-Genre Workshop

Inspired by recent discourse on the complexities of FRIENDSHIP, this generative WORKSHOP WILL EXPLORE AN ECLECTIC RANGE OF APPROACHES TO WRITING ABOUT (and from) the theme of FRIENDSHIP. We’ll think about what FRIENDSHIP MEANS IN AN ERA OF FRIENDING AND FOLLOWING, of political upheavals, generational divides and complex intersections. Writers of all GENRES AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS ARE WELCOME TO THIS GATHERING OF TEXTS, questions, and—one can hope—FRIENDS. The workshop will begin with a study of Mary Ruefle’s Pushcart Prize-winning essay “Dear Friends” before diving into friendship-focused work by several other poets and writers. For the first three sessions, prompts and exercises will be provided; participants can expect to generate at least three drafts per week. The last session will be devoted to workshopping poems. Chen Chen lives in Rochester, New York and teaches for the MFA program at New England College. He is the author of two books of poetry, most recently, Your Emergency Contact Has Experienced an Emergency (Boa Editions, 2022). His work appears in many publications, including Poetry, three editions of The Best American Poetry, and The Norton Introduction to Literature. His honors include the Thom Gunn Award, three Pushcart Prizes, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and United States Artists.