Poetry and prose? Writers often reach new depths in their work when they immerse themselves in the nebulous poetry/non-fiction divide. In this workshop, poets will use lyric essay techniques to prompt and guide their work. We will read and learn from different types of lyric essays including braided, flash, collage and hermit crab. By opening themselves up to hybrid possibilities, participants will see their work to spill into new territory, either revisiting existing themes in new ways and/or plunging into previously unexplored spaces.

Bio: Monica Isabel Restrepo has an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. Before becoming a lyric essayist, Monica did financial research on Wall Street, consumer marketing at People Magazine, fundraising for a Bangladesh-based non-profit, and education journalism at UNESCO. She currently lives in Boca Raton, FL with her husband and their two amazing children. In her spare time, Monica guides students through the essay portion of the college application process. Her work appears in Harpur Palate and The Lindenwood Review.