Creating The Poetry Chapbook

Many of us local poets have wanted to have our work published, but only to realize that it is very difficult to find a publisher willing to take the chance on poetry. It can also be expensive if you have to pay to have your work published. Some of us have gotten lucky and fortunate to get the call from a publishing house that they want to print your masterpiece. Others have opened their pocketbooks and “paid the piper”.

Then there are the poets who take the whole DIY attitude to heart, eliminate the middleman, and print / publish their poems on their own. I have done it myself. I have published four volumes of my poetry over the years. And to be honest it is one of the most satisfying experiences of my writing career. The sales were not so good, but that was not the point. The point was being able to say that I had my poetry published.

If you want to to join the ever-growing list of local self-published poets, you are in luck. The Arts Center is holding a workshop series on Tuesdays in the month of October to help you along your path. Seating is limited and the classes start next Tuesday, so you will have to get in contact with them very quickly.

Here is all of the information from The Arts Center:

Creating The Poetry Chapbook

Tuesdays – October 2, 2012 to October 30, 2012 — 05:30 PM to 08:30 PM

Instructor: Julie Gutmann
Member:$149 | Non-Member:$165 | Materials Fee: 10 | Enrollment Max: 10

Drawers full of rough drafts and unfinished poems? Many finished poems, but no idea how they might belong together? If you’ve been writing for years, it’s time to capture those fragments of thought and memory in a chapbook manuscript. Poet Evan Boland writes, “In the work of a new poet, chapbooks serve both as a sampling and shape of the first book which is to come.” This workshop will introduce exercises and visual techniques for composing a themed collection of your work. Experiments with order, language, and titles will help you identify what makes your poems unique and exciting. We will also discuss how to create a poetry memoir to share with family and friends, and professional chapbook competitions.

The Arts Center of the Capital Region is located at 265 River Street in downtown Troy. For more information on this and any other events, classes, and exhibits, call (518) 273-0552.