Poetry
Mary Carroll-Hackett’s poetry and fiction have appeared in more than a hundred journals, including Carolina Quarterly, Clackamas Literary Review, Pedestal Magazine, Superstition Review, Drunken Boat, The Prose-Poem Project, and Cultural Weekly among others. She was named a North Carolina Blumenthal Writer and winner of the Willamette Award for Fiction.
She is the author of eight collections of prose poetry: The Real Politics of Lipstick, Animal Soul, If We Could Know Our Bones, The Night I Heard Everything, Trailer Park Oracle, A Little Blood, A Little Rain, and Death for Beginners, released from Kelsey Books in October 2017. Her chapbook, (Un)Hinged, was released Fall 2019 from Kattywompus Press. Mary founded and teaches in the Creative Writing programs at Longwood University and with the low-residency MFA faculty at West Virginia Wesleyan. She also offers consultations and workshops through other venues in Virginia and North Carolina. Mary is at work on a novel. Visit her website at https://marycarrollhackett.com/.
Course Description
As Lucille Clifton said, “Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language.” For me the power of poetry lies in revealing the extraordinary in the ordinary, in the grace, beauty, and truth–the poems!–to be found in every life. In this course we’ll explore writing free verse poetry, delving into the power of imagery, sound, and white space, as well as other elements of craft. We’ll read and discuss a range of poems, examine specific tools and techniques for writing and revision, workshop participant manuscripts, and do in-class and takeaway generative exercises to inspire additional work. Come ready to read, write, and play!