Workshop: Metaphor and the Fantastical Imagination
During the past year and a half, as our nation has grappled with disease, racial inequities, the social impacts of technology, and prolonged isolation, we’ve heard our stunned brothers and sisters describe life since March 2020 with phrases like, “it’s just so surreal” and “I can’t even put it into words.” These phrases may have come from our own mouths too, and yet, as writers, we’re still compelled to try and give words to these strange, bewildering times. In this generative workshop, we’ll explore how metaphor and the intersection of observation and imagination can create a deeper meaning and truer reflection of our experience than if we were to just tell it straight. Participants will generate their own metaphoric starts from which they can build poems that give shape to the chaos and honor the gorgeous complexities of being human.
About Armin Tolentino: Tolentino is the author of the poetry collection We Meant to Bring It Home Alive (Alternating Current Press). He earned an MFA at Rutgers University-Newark and his writing has appeared in journals including Rigorous, Gobshite Quarterly, Portland Magazine, and Pontoon Poetry. He serves as poet laureate for Clark County, WA. More info at www.armintolentino.com.