Many of us have come to know Barbara Helfgott Hyett over the years and from many different circumstances. Since 1984, and (some of us have know Barbara that long!), she has led the Workshop for Publishing Poets, bringing over 130 new books of poetry into existence. Barbara has taught at Boston area colleges including Boston University, Harvard, and Lasell, as well as leading workshops in many, many other schools and organizations.
Our weekend here at 26 Split Rock Cove was as rich as one can expect every other workshop with Barbara to be. We read other poets – Edna St. Vincent Millay to Dylan Thomas to Mary Oliver – looking for clues about language and meter and syntax. We generate our own material through free writes, observation, writing exercises, lists, and the now-famous glue-job. We bring our baby, new formed poems to workshop, leaving with a few lines we think can be salvaged into something more. We revise, we craft, we work hard to make it into poetry.
This was the weekend – Poetry of Place:26 Split Rock Cove. We’ll do it again next year. In the meantime, look for Barbara’s books on amazon.com, or check out PoemWorks for more workshops, events, and private consultation. October at 26 Split Rock Cove – a terrific time to write poetry!
