Writing What Can’t Be Said
Risk and reward – saying un-sayable things.
* This course will take place on the video-conferencing platform ZOOM *
The American poet Muriel Rukeyser famously encouraged her students to begin poems with the words ‘I could not say’; Rukeyser emboldened poets to write what they once could not admit or say out loud. Did we once mute important words in ourselves? What significant and meaningful language have we suppressed? Is it possible to bring what was once unsaid to a poem today? What poetic techniques can be used for finally writing these unspoken moments?
In this course, we’ll discuss these questions and look at craft and writerly strategies. Prompts will be given to generate new work based on work by poets such as Muriel Rukeyser, Sharon Olds, Benjamin Zephaniah, Elizabeth Bishop, Emily Dickinson, Paul Celan, and others. Participants will have the opportunity to share their work and workshop their poems with the group. Everyone will receive supportive feedback from the instructor and the other participants.
1 x half-day session, running 2–4.30pm (GMT), on 20 Mar 2025. This course will take place on the video-conferencing platform ZOOM.
To apply for a concession rate, please send relevant documentation showing your eligibility for one of our concessions to [email protected]. Conditions of eligibility are detailed here. More information about how our Video Courses work can be found on the Video Courses page. If you have any questions or wish to be added to the waiting list of a sold-out course, please email [email protected].
Image credit: @peterbucks
About Eve Grubin 
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Eve Grubin is the author of Morning Prayer (Sheep Meadow Press) and Grief Dialogue and The House of Our First Loving (both from Rack Press). Her next book of poems Boat of Letters will be published by Four Way Books. Her essays have appeared in various magazines and anthologies including, The Veil: Women Writers on Its History Lore and Politics (U of CA Press). Eve was the programs director at the Poetry Society of America and has taught at The New School, and the City College of New York. She is a lecturer at New York University London. www.evegrubin.com.
"I enjoyed working with different people and meeting new poets. I think that's probably been the biggest takeaway for me. Especially Zoom classes which are very accessible but being live they are a great way to meet people and have conversations."
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