2023 Winter Workshop

Workshop 1: Poetry About Food with Eddie Vega

This poet is known for some really amazingly deep, meaningful food poems! Fun, too!

Workshop 2: Visual Poetry with Jay Ward

In this workshop, we explore using the page as a “stage,” where the words give their own performance in a way that accentuates the poem. Or perhaps not, maybe the poem is influenced by art/performance and becomes a lively cabaret in our reader’s imagination but visually looks like any other poem. We will explore examples of how the written word has influenced visual art and vice versa. Ekphrasis, concrete poems, list poems, ziuhitsu…we’ll touch on a little of everything as we build toward our writing prompt which is sure to generate new language and ideas.

Eddie Vega is a poet, spoken word artist, storyteller, and educator originally from the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, currently residing in San Antonio. His poetry has been displayed on VIA Buses and downtown San Antonio buildings. His first full-length collection of poetry, Chicharra Chorus, was published in 2019 (FlowerSong Press) and he is the editor of Asina Is How We Talk, a collection of poetry written en la lengua de la gente. Vega writes about food, Tejano culture, social justice, and the intersections thereof. Known as the Taco-Poet of Texas, he can be found at an open mic, slam, or taqueria on any evening anywhere throughout South Texas. 

Junious 'Jay' Ward is a poet and teaching artist from Charlotte, NC. He is a National Slam champion (2018), an Individual World Poetry Slam champion (2019),  author of Sing Me A Lesser Wound (Bull City Press 2020)and the forthcoming Composition (Button Poetry), and Charlotte's inaugural Poet Laureate. Jay currently serves as a Program Director for BreatheInk, serves as vice chair on the board of The Watering Hole, and is part of several curatorial committees for arts events in Charlotte. Ward has attended Breadloaf Writer's Conference, Callaloo, The Watering Hole, and Tin House Winter Workshop. His work can be found in Crabfat Magazine, Lackadaisy Lit Mag, Four Way Review, Diode Poetry Journal, and additionally on Button Poetry, All Def Poetry, and Slamfind.

SCHEDULE

1-2:30 WORKSHOP 1

2:45-4:15 WORKSHOP 2

4:15-5 ROUND ROBIN READING

This event is FREE for current ASPS members! If you aren't a member, please join us (alpoets.org/join) and attend! Annual memberships are just $20.