The Bait on the Hook: Hybrid Poetry & Prose Experiments

“B is for boat, pushing off into the dark. C is the way that we find and we look. D is for diamonds, the bait on the hook.” ― Neil Gaiman, The Dangerous Alphabet

Ever get stuck in your writing and put it away, only to never return to it? In this class, we’ll take a look at various hybrid forms as a way to find a beginning (and end) to a project that may have previously given you roadblocks. Or you can start completely anew with a fresh look at these forms that encourage genre-blurring work—work that can meld elements of creative non-fiction and poetry: the abecedarian, nocturne, aubade, hair history, zuihitsu, haibun, bestiary, and more. The primary focus of this hybrid class will be generative. We’ll have plenty of time for in-class craft analysis, discussion, and writing prompts galore that will send you home with several solid drafts of new work. **Please note: we will not be workshopping writing this week, and instead— each session will offer daily craft talks and in-class writing time. This generative writing class model will be capped at 16 rather than 12. Ideal for writers at any level of experience looking for a vibrant shake-up to their writing practices long after the conference is over.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of a book of nature essays, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, & Other Astonishments, which was named a finalist for the Kirkus Prize in non-fiction, and four award-winning poetry collections, most recently, Oceanic (2018). Awards for her writing include fellowships from the Mississippi Arts Council, Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for poetry, National Endowment of the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Her writing has appeared in NYTimes Magazine, ESPN, and Best American Poetry. She is professor of English and Creative Writing in the University of Mississippi’s MFA program.