“
I had been writing and publishing for 30 years when I was lucky
enough to find Harry’s group. Working with him and the other
poets in the group has helped take my work to a new level.
—Terry
Overview: A Few Words From Harry
The workshop started meeting at its steady location in February,
2002. The schedule has revolved around a 10-12 week session, in
the spring and again in the fall of each year.
Regular meeting time is 11 a.m. on Tuesdays. The main components
are reading poems by established poets and reading each
others’ poems. First-reading reactions to new poems are
offered around the table and then we bring back more thoughtful
written comments the following week.
We have read anthologies during a term, an assigned amount each
week for discussion, or sometimeshave gone more in-depth to
read collections by up to three poets at a time. We have read
volumes by Claudia Emerson, Sharon Olds, Billy Collins,
Joy Harjo, Stephen Dunn, Andrea Gibson, Matthew Dickman, and
Marge Piercy, to name but a few.
Noted anthologies have included American Poetry Now,
edited by Ed Ochester (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007),
and From the Fishouse, edited by Dungy,
O’Donnell, and Thompson (Persea Books, 2009).
Some people have come into the workshop as beginners, rather
unaware of what poetry is about. Others have come with MFA
degrees, in search of a new focus. The challenge in this
diversity slowly works out because trying to write is an
equalizer, and after a time we are all on the same path of
wondering how the making of poems out of nothing happens.
The roster of attendees changes over time, although a couple
of people who came in on day one are still there—and
getting their books published now.
We put together a public reading of recent work at the end of
each term. The way people rise to the occasion and present
exciting, moving readings always amazes and thrills me.
It’s never less than a great event.
Without a comfortable place to meet, none of these
accomplishments would happen. So we owe much to our generous
hosts who continue to offer their library as a meeting place.
Many thanks to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San
Dieguito. They never interfere, censor, or ask for anything
more than a voluntary contribution each term. Many thanks.
It certainly works for us.
When the pandemic in early 2020 caused us to find new ways to
share our poems and critiques, we hung together and devoted
even more effort to reading each other’s work closely and
offering in-depth, helpful comments. Just not in person.
