In this prompt-based, fast-paced writing workshop with Jan Becker, participants will learn about the poetic transformation of seemingly ordinary events and objects into profound observations that alter a reader’s perception of the world and create a deeper appreciation for seemingly mundane aspects of daily life. Participants will examine poems from William Carlos Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Pablo Neruda, and Richard Blanco, discuss the idea of “poetic vision” and “poetic voice” and create poems that elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary and remain in the minds of readers long after the poem has ended.

Jan Becker earned her MFA degree at Florida International University, and has taught courses there in composition, technical writing, creative writing, poetry and literature. Her work has appeared in Jai-Alai Magazine, Colorado Review, Emerge, Brevity Poetry Review, Sliver of Stone, and Doubleback Review. She was the recipient of a 2015 AWP Intro Journals Award in Creative Nonfiction. Her first book, The Sunshine Chronicles was published in 2016.