Peggy suggested we read Rita Dove, “Thomas and Beulah.” and as an exercise (homework) she suggested we find evocative details in something we had written so far and make them work harder. She also listed e-mail addresses for the three faculty. Hers is peggyzoe at gmail dot com. (The form is to evade robot searches for e-mail addresses.)

David pointed out how a detail in a first draft can become the theme around which the story revolves. Homework: revise something you’ve written, keeping this in mind. e-mail:dcrouse1 at alaska dot edu.

Jeanne had several readings from class members and emphasized playing with images. She introduced the catalog poem and had us read three and discuss them:

Snow by W. S. Merwin

Freedom of Love, by André Bretou

Jubilate Agno, by David Lee, in memoriam Christopher Smart, 1722-1770

Not discussed was the pattern for Jubilate Agno, Christpher Smart’s Of Jeoffry, His Cat.

Our homework was to write a catalog poem.  Jeanne’s email address is bellestarrgang at gmail dot com

Theresa Bakker

Our afternoon guest writer was Theresa Bakker. She told us how she was pushed to using walking as a theme, and discussed a number of books on walking. These books were:

Joseph Amato: On Foot: A History of Walking

Geoff Nicholson: The Lost Art of Walking

Chet Raymo: The Path: A One-Mile Walk Through the Universe

Ned Rozell: Walking My Dog, Jane

Rebecca, Solnit: Wanderlust; A History of Walking

Henry D. Thoreau: Walking: Concord 1862

Edmund White: The Flaneur

We also discussed the difference in how we notice things when we are walking as opposed to driving.

We wound up with a discussion of the changes in the publishing industry.