Calling All Secret Poets & Summer Writers
June 3 - July 29, 2024
Oceans Without End is a creative writing course & summer practice period
for poets & secret poets seeking creative encouragement & inspiration
as they explore an intuitive poetic process.
This course is designed to help you find flow & experience the satisfactions of writing in tune with the summer season.
Oceans Without End will also introduce many of the principles and methods that have been most transformative for the writers I've worked with over the years, all of which seek to empower writers by reminding us that we can simply begin, work with what we have, befriend our own process, practice being free, and allow unseen forces to assist us.
You are not alone, but if you feel that way, please join us. There is room for all of us!
Our Intention
To write new poems and poem-like creatures during the hazy days of summer. To fall in love with poets and poems and poetic modes of being. To become more fluent in our creative expression. To learn new forms and find affinities that will inspire future work. To enjoy the experience.
A project
Toward the end of the course, you will be guided through the process of assembling of a small collection of your work, what we call A Water Book. In doing so, you will develop more confidence in your ability to curate your best work.
For some, this project is an exciting step in the direction of an eventual chapbook manuscript (which we explore in depth in a winter course called A Body of Work.)
A Humane Pace
Oceans Without End can be done at your own pace from wherever you are in the world, however there are several Live gatherings on Zoom, recorded for your convenience, if you would enjoy company and accountability along the way.
Coursework is made available each week for 6 weeks, in the form of print-and-go packets, with accompanying video lessons. Some writers love to keep pace with me while others will take their time to complete the sequence over the entire season and beyond.
You are encouraged to set forth with us in early June as a way of aligning your personal process with the energy of the season, and the collective.
A Gentle, Encouraging Guide
Oceans Without End is taught by award winning poet, author of numerous poetry collections, former college creative writing professor, and founder and director of Poetry Forge, Holly Wren Spaulding.
Payment for the course may be made in a single installment ($375) or in three monthly payments ($125 each)‚—whatever works best for you.
Once you register, you will receive a link to create a student profile (unless you have one already). Get in touch if you do not receive a confirmation email and Holly will sort you out.
Creative expression is a uniquely human impulse—
Throughout history and across cultures, humans have made art with words. And despite what you may have been lead to believe, we don't require ideal conditions, or perfect silence, or a studio, or an audience, or extraordinary talent to claim this birthright. However, many of us flourish and flow only once we find a teacher and a community that supports this way of being in the world. In this brief video, writer and teaching artist, Holly Wren Spaulding, shares some of her teaching philosophy -->
Important Dates
Course Portal Opens for Orientation: Friday, May 31
First Lesson Becomes Available: Monday, June 3
Opening workshop: Wednesday, June 5 at 4:00-5:00 pm EDT on Zoom
Community Workshop: Wednesday, June 19 at 4:00-5:00 PM EDT on Zoom
Closing Workshop: Wednesday, July 10 at 4:00-5:00 pm EDT on Zoom
Final Lesson Becomes Available: Monday, July 29
A Water Book Reading & Celebration on Zoom: Holly will host a gathering for anyone who contributes to the course anthology in Fall 2024. This date will be announced during the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is this course intended for?
Oceans is suitable for poets and secret poets. Prose writers, visual artists, therapists, parents, MFA graduates, teachers, and published and unpublished poets have all taken this course and benefitted from the experience.
How do we take class?
While the coursework is delivered via our easy to use online learning platform (provided by Kajabi) and in optional Live Zoom workshops, the deeper work happens away from the screen, when you engage with the suggestions and materials according to your personal interests and desires. The weekly packets prepare you to do just that.
What will we find in the weekly lessons?
Each week Holly presents a thoughtful selection of poems and original writing provocations to stir your imagination, as well as poetic activity prompts (poetry picnic, anyone?), practical tips on process & craft, and encouragement. The written materials are complemented by video and audio content.
Who will we read during this course?
Expect to find inspiring reading selections from Kimiko Hahn, Linda Gregg, Mary Oliver, Joe Brainerd, George Oppen, Claribel Alegria, James Schuyler, Carl Phillips, Alex Dimitrov, Ron Padgett, Naomi Shihab Nye, William Stafford, Suzanne Buffam, Nazim Hikmet, Jim Harrison, Wang Wei, & many others.
Tell me more about the schedule?
Course materials are released weekly on Monday mornings (5 am EDT) for six weeks. The course portal opens for orientation on May 31. Our kick-off workshop is on June 5 and our closing workshop happens July 10. All will be recorded for you as well.
In the Fall, all participants will be invited to celebrate the release of the an anthology created from student work. This date will be announced as we get closer to that time. Please plan to contribute some of your writing—this is a time honored tradition and a highlight of Oceans Without End.
What if I'm traveling and unable to keep pace with the rest of the cohort?
You will have access to all materials for 365 days. You are encouraged to do the work at the pace that works in your life; download anything you wish to keep forever.
Are there any scholarships available?
In an effort to make my work as accessible as possible, I am offering two partial scholarships and one full scholarship for each of the online courses I am teaching this year, as well as a three-month payment plan, which is available to all. Get in touch directly if you need financial aid: holly (at) poetryforge (dot) us
Will we have access to Holly during the course?
Yes, always. In addition to our Live Zoom workshops, and (optional) online discussion forums, you can always connect with Holly via email: holly (at) poetryforge (dot) us
A Summer Syllabus
Lesson 1: Of Pleasure, Glistening, How to Be & Wanting Nothing Else
Lesson 2: On Portable Studios, Invisible Collaborators, & Magic Against Death
Lesson 3: On Taking Time, Good Faith, Essentials for Creativity
Lesson 4: Of Heat, Remembering, Bravery, Air, Ambition, & Flower Walks
Lesson 5: Of Sunsets, Electric Instants, Light Rain, Blue Vaults, Hibiscus Blooms, & Things I Didn’t Know I Loved
Lesson 6: On Stray Notes, Finding the Glimmering Bits of Language
Lesson 7: A Water Book, & & Honoring What We’ve Made
Lesson 8: Sparks and the Ocean
Lesson 9: Returning to the Source
"As one of your secret poets, I have found this class a wonderful, affirming experience. I started writing very frequently almost as soon as I signed up for it, and blessedly wrote without any attachment or expectations, simply observing and recording snippets and savoring (the process). Jeanne B., 2023
"This whole course has been wonderful. Receiving the packets on Monday mornings was definitely a highlight of the summer. I was engaged at such a deep level . . .I found myself taken in and nurtured by words and language in a new and different way . . . I was surprised by what came up for me by a few of the prompts or poets we read." Diane L., 2023
