The Image That Haunts

Louise Glück defined poetry simply yet expansively as “that which haunts.” As demonstrated in her own work, and as all the finest poets across time understand, strong imagery is an essential ingredient for creating a rich, full haunting. In this two-hour masterclass led by award-winning poet Chen Chen, participants will read and discuss poems that model the strange, urgent, and memorable qualities we seek in lyric imagery. Guided by Carl Philips, Rick Barot, Mary Ruefle, and Victoria Chang, participants will draft at least three of their own image-focused poems during the session in response to generative prompts. This class is designed for intermediate to advanced students or practitioners of poetry.

Registration.

At the Unreliable Narrator bookstore. Hosted by Rachel Wiley and Anna Parade. More info.

Join us for a reading and celebration of LGBTQIA+ love poems published in Ploughshares, featuring Kelli Russell Agodon, Chen Chen, Eileen Myles, Jacques J. Rancourt, Jaz Sufi, and Mark Wunderlich! The event will be co-hosted by Ploughshares' Editor-in-chief Jenny Molberg and Senior Poetry Reader Kit Freeman.

This event is free and open to the public. More info + RSVP.

Three-hour generative workshop on Google Meet for Poet Camp.

Very Short & Very Very Short Poems

Brevity is the soul of wit, said William (you know which one), but my soul (and maybe yours?) struggles to be brief. In this generative session we will look at model poems (brilliant brevities!) by Linda Gregg, Lucille Clifton, Leila Chatti, Jenny George, Victoria Chang, and Kevin Bertolero. We’ll discuss the various challenges that short forms present and various strategies or lyric windows through those hurdles. In between each handful of poems, we’ll write. Participants can expect to draft at least three new pieces and there will be time at the end to share a snippet of what you’ve made (totally optional, of course). Whether you adore writing short poems or find them daunting (or both!) we’ll read, talk, and do our dreamiest. 

Register.

Sam & I will be reading from our collab chapbook, Love That For Us, at The Unreliable Narrator bookstore in Rochester, NY. More info to come.

I’ll be the featured reader for this online event moderated/hosted by Court Harler. Lisa Hartsgrove, Jaz, and Eileen Toomey will also be reading. More info + register.

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Friends & Features: Celebrate the Poets

Where established authors meet emerging voices.

Join us for an intimate virtual gathering where writers at various stages of their journeys come together to share their craft. Our literary salon features a renowned guest author alongside three voices from our vibrant writing community.

What to Expect:

• Featured Reading: A celebrated poet shares insights from their latest work, offering a glimpse into their writing process and inspiration.

• Community Voices: Three poets from our organization read an excerpt of their work.

• Q&A and Discussion: Join in an interactive conversation about craft, inspiration, and the writing life.

• Virtual Mingling: Hang out afterwards for informal networking and connection.

This unique format celebrates both literary excellence and the power of community, giving our members the rare opportunity to share the stage with established authors while connecting with fellow writers. Whether you’re published or just beginning your journey, you’ll find inspiration, encouragement, and meaningful connections.

Reading, followed by Q&A and signing at The Siren and The Sea bookstore & coffee shop in Rochester, NY. Copies of my books, including my new chapbook Love That For Us, will be available for purchase.

Please RSVP here.

Origin Stories: Poems of Self-Discovery

In this generative workshop we’ll discuss poems that transform the autobiographical into the magical—and we’ll write our own poems that attempt to do the same. We’ll look at short but deeply impactful poems by Wo Chan, Lucille Clifton, Leila Chatti, Jenny George, and Kazim Ali. Participants can expect to draft at least three pieces and there will be time to share excerpts generated during the session. Open to those working in any genre who are interested in fresh approaches to autobiographical material. Come prepared to dream and experiment. 

Poems of Fire & Tenderness 

How can a political poem also be a love poem? How can a poem of fiery outrage be, at the same time, a poem of tenderness? In this generative session we’ll take a look at four examples that manage to offer both care and ferocity while responding to recent/ongoing injustices. In between reading and discussing each model poem, we’ll do some writing of our own (prompts will be provided). And there will be time toward the end of the session for a Q&A and any (totally optional) sharing of work generated during our time together.

More details to come.

Reading + Q&A.

Zoom launch event for Grant Chemidlin’s new collection of poetry, In the Middle of a Better World. Hosted by Tova Greene. Reading with Shou Jie Eng, Keetje Kuipers, and Grant Chemidlin. Followed by a brief conversation between Tova and Grant, plus audience Q&A.

Register here.

14:00 – 18:00 | Byre: Level 2 Foyer | £5 – drop in

No need to book in advance – drop in and pay on the door.

An intimate one-to-one performance, for your ears only. Pour a cup of tea, get cosy, and pick up the phone to hear Chen Chen’s wit and warmth (14.00 – 16.00) or Mary Ruefle’s singular magic (16.00 – 18.00) in this private, long-distance encounter.

More info.

Reading with Rob Macaisa Colgate, Gabrielle Hogan, and Sam Herschel Wein at Women & Children First bookstore in Chicago.

Reading with Michelle Peñaloza, Morgan Parker, & Jonathan Chou.

Origin Stories: Poems of Self-Discovery

In this generative workshop we’ll discuss poems that transform the autobiographical into the magical—and we’ll write our own poems that attempt to do the same. We’ll look at short but deeply impactful poems by Wo Chan, Lucille Clifton, Leila Chatti, Jenny George, and Kazim Ali. Participants can expect to draft at least three pieces and there will be time to share excerpts generated during the session. Open to those working in any genre who are interested in fresh approaches to autobiographical material. Come prepared to dream and experiment. 

More info to come.

Reading with Margot Kahn, Keetje Kuipers, Luther Hughes, Leigh Sugar, and others.

At Writers & Books in Rochester, NY.

Lost/Found: Writing Love Poems

It’s that time of the year when the heart either sings or screams. Whether you’ve lost (or tossed) a recent love, or are embracing something new, this workshop is for you. Find inspiration in example poems and try your hand at two new drafts on the themes of “goodbye” and “oh, hi”. Spells, screeds, songs of mourning, tears of joy: it’s all fuel for your wild, memorable, and cathartic verse, in this session led by Rochester’s Poet Laureate of Possibilities, Chen Chen.

More info + registration.

2026 Pushcart Prize reading on Zoom hosted by The Writers Studio. With Cyrus Cassells, Sheema Kalbasi, Uche Okonkwo, Keya Mitra, Grace Schulman, & Charles Baxter.

Reading in support of Ally Ang’s debut collection, Let the Moon Wobble (Alice James Books). With singer-songwriter Anju.

More info.

Reading with Kimiko Hahn and Subin Lee at KGB Bar in New York City.

In this generative workshop, we’ll discuss and experiment with a variety of daring approaches that writers today are taking toward the prose poem. These approaches allow each writer to get closer to truths at once difficult and strange. As Chloe Honum says, “Sometimes writing about a new subject matter requires a new form.”

This session will also be available as a recording for purchase after the live workshop.

More info.

Register.