In this workshop, we will be guided by the words of NYC writer and educator, Leslie Jamison, who, in her 2018 memoir, The Recovering, boldly examines "if stories about getting better [can] be as compelling as stories about falling apart.” We will read from contemporary poets who talk openly about their experiences with substance use and Recovery, like Kaveh Akbar, Hala Alyan, and sam sax, as well as examine the evolution of Recovery Poetry through modern poets like Elizabeth Bishop, Anne Sexton, and John Berryman. We will discuss the unique qualities and characteristics of poetry which make it an effective medium for communicating experiences of Recovery, and look to see what shared traits, themes, and formal choices might exist amongst Recovery Poets. We will dissect the narratives of substance use and Recovery which we've encountered in other areas of our lives and brainstorm ways of writing poetry as an intentional act of resistance against dehumanizing and stigmatizing narratives. And, as we survey the landscape of Recovery in poetry, we will also turn our attention to the broader landscape of the Recovery Movement happening today, expanding our definition of what Recovery looks like and means, who can identify as a person in Recovery, and the invaluable role of poetry in this work of community healing and survival.
We will end our time together by putting our ideas and conversations into action, adding our own voices and experiences to this movement and lineage by writing and sharing our own Recovery poems.
About the Instructor: Caleb Knight (he/him) is a queer writer, educator, and activist living in New York City. He attends the MFA Poetry program at Columbia University, facilitates creative writing workshops at community mental health organizations, and directs the Columbia Artist/Teachers program. His work has appeared in places like Grain Magazine, Ghost City Review, and Beltway Poetry Quarterly, amongst others. He is a person in long-term recovery from substance use issues.
* *This workshop will take place on Zoom.**