The holiday season passed. It was 2022, late January. I was getting over an awful head cold. Scrolling down on the blinking link in my email inbox, I’m granted a choice of buttons: one is the image of a vibrator found in a hotel room. There’s another with a picture of Alf, neighbored by another image of Sigourney Weaver face-to-face with Alien from the Ripley Scott film. A few other images affirming the whimsical randomness of the five-part weekly workshop series present themselves in the open web tab, Writers Anonymous hosted by none other than the part saint and part fraud himself, Buddy Wakefield. I don’t even know what the Butterdome is, nor what it means to get a poem “toasted.” These are among several euphemisms and interlocuting jokes I’m about to learn, ones which seem by their very design graspable and readily intuited. I have poems from an old notebook dating back to 2015 opened on my lap like a dinner napkin as the cursor hovers over the Zoom link highlighted blue.
I know a little bit about Buddy Wakefield already: American poet, author of Choir of Honest Killers, and three-time world champion spoken word artist, decorated with a litany of awards, honors, and listings—basically he is a giant in the writing and literary world. Upon noticing an advertisement for his workshop on social media, paying for the course and signing up was a “joyful risk” as para quoted from Jack Plotnick. I previously graduated from SUNY Albany a year prior, and I was on the prowl for a good workshop to keep the gears in my inner register well-oiled and my writing instincts sharp.
Upon entering the Zoom Room, I’m greeted by the sound of ambient music playing in the background. Buddy Wakefield is taking control of the main screen, eating mustard pretzels and preparing to start his first class like it’s a mad science experiment. A little over one hundred and a quarter screens entered the room share. Beginning writers, poets, and Buddy Wakefield fans from around the world entered my small apartment room on the outskirts of Downtown Albany through Google Classroom. After brief, warm and friendly introduction, we spring right into ten three-minute writing prompts. We’re encouraged to write anything down that comes to mind without any judgement.
The prompt portion leads right into Buddy Wakefield’s editing practice: “the Goldmine”, or as he alternatively called it, “The Great Idea-List.” Participants are encouraged to share their prompt writings with the class to foster courage in their work and honesty with an audience in a safe place. Before any of that though, Buddy instructs us to circle anything that is clear, poignant, or carries resonating value with a pen or with a highlighter via word processor.
The rest of the class carries in a similar, relaxed fashion. Each week, Buddy gives brief discourse and lecture on one of five designated qualities in writing: evolving clichés, “packing heat,” to clarify, expansive declaration in writing style and structure; logic, efficiency of language, and detail. Post lecture, he invites his class into “The Butter Dome” a live critique and polishing of a selected poem from a pre-selected workshop participant. Upon donning his custom flat-top Cali-Cap with BUTTER in all-caps printed across the top, Buddy offers critique based upon the weekly themed element of style as exemplified in his participant’s work. I. e. If it’s week two, he’s critiquing his participants based upon packing heat. If it’s week three, he’s critiquing the logic within a poem, etc.
Buddy Wakefield concludes finally with a sincere Q & A where he ponders participant’s questions, writing related or otherwise, for meaningful and well-placed answers. Writer’s Anonymous happens on a semi-annual basis, ranging from once a year to as many as three times a year (a rare occurrence such as been had in 2024.) In addition to his writer’s workshop, he also hosts a performance workshop titled Don’t Fake Cry, entailing critique over the performance aspect of poetry. During his last Q & A, he disclosed the possibility for another Writers Anonymous series somewhere between late spring and early fall. He’s recently sent out an email alarming his followers to an impromptu Writer’s Anonymous with only four sessions priced down from his usual rates. However, he makes himself available as a private instructor and manuscript editor throughout the year as advertised on his website www.buddywakefield.com. You can also reach him via email at [email protected].
