Erik Wilbur holds a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MFA in creative writing from Fresno State University. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he is available to deliver virtual poetry craft talks and facilitate virtual creative writing workshops.
[BOOKING: erik.wilbur@gmail.com]
Craft Talk DESCRIPTIONS
Show, Don’t Tell
An introduction to the power of imagery and concrete language. It aims to provide attendees with a brief history of imagism, a guided close reading of contemporary imagistic poems, and an opportunity to practice writing clear, evocative images.
The Humanizing Power of Poetic Language: Why New Metaphors Matter and Clichés Are So Dangerous
An introduction to metaphors. It covers different types and applications of metaphors. It will also cover the importance of avoiding clichés in creative writing. The event is driven by guided close readings of contemporary poetry. There is also a metaphor writing activity.
The Eye and the “I”: Contemporary Experiential Poetry
A brief overview of Confessional Poetry (a poetic movement that started in the middle of the 20th Century). It will also provide a guide to autobiographical poetry writing.
Creating Experiences, Not Arguments: An Intro to Political Poetry
Covers the history of American political poetry. Attendees also participate in guided close-readings of contemporary political poems. This lecture seeks to create a distinction between poetry and propaganda by discussing Adrienne Rich’s comment that good writing creates an experience and bad writing creates an argument. Finally, some guidelines for writing political poetry will be provided.
Nothing Happens Nowhere: An Intro to Poetry of Place
An introduction to the sub-genre Poetry of Place.
When to HIt the Return Key: An Intro to Line Break
An overview and discussion of the many ways that poets use line breaks. This lecture does not discuss forms with regular meter (such as the Shakepearean Sonnet). Instead, this is a lecture on using line in free verse poetry.
Erik Wilbur 