Jesse Ferguson talks about his upcoming creative writing workshop

Jesse Patrick Ferguson currently lives in Sydney, Cape Breton, with his wife and son. Jesse has published poetry and reviews in ten countries, in both print and online formats. Recently, his poems have appeared in Canadian Literature, Prairie Fire, The Walrus, Poetry Ireland Review, Poetry and Harper’s. His work also appears in the anthologies Best Canadian Poetry, 2009 and Rogue Stimulus. Jesse has been a poetry editor for The Fiddlehead and for several other Canadian literary journals. In 2009, Freehand Books published his first full-length poetry collection, Harmonics.

In this one-day workshop, we will explore the craft of poetry writing, within a fun and casual atmosphere. We will discuss some of the basics of poetry (meter, rhyme, metaphor, form, etc.), and in order to reinforce these basics, we will read some classic poems.

Our next task will be to workshop (share/edit) our own poetry. Participants will have the opportunity to share their poems and to receive constructive feedback. Participation is therefore encouraged, but not mandatory.

Finally, the class will discuss how to successfully send poetry out for publication in magazines, e-zines and/or books. Students of all experience levels are welcome, though some experience of writing poems is preferable (please bring them if you have any).

In this course you can expect to become a better writer and reader of poetry, gain confidence in your writing and ideas, learn how to get published, and, of course, have fun!

See the Cabot Trail Writers Fest website for further details.

Celebration!

Please join the Department of Languages and Letters on Friday, April 8 as it celebrates student scholarship in literature and writing. The event will be held in Multi-Purpose Room B. A light lunch will be provided. Please join us as we celebrate student achievement.

Schedule of Events

11:00a.m.: Honours Thesis Presentations by Kyle Capstick and Brittany Harnum

12:00: Awarding of Shauna Gillis Prizes for outstanding literary essays in upper-year and first-year categories, and the Mary Keshen Prize for composition.

The short-listed candidates for the Prizes are:

Shauna Gillis Prize
Upper year category: Kyle Capstick, Stephen MacNeil, Mary Vickers

First year category: Carl Kooka, Parker MacNeil, Sarah Penney, Chantelle Zawila

Mary Keshen Prize: Shawn P. Aucoin, Alyssa Kowalczyk, Patricia McCann

12:30 p.m.: Information Session on Upper-year English Courses for the 2011-12 Academic Year.

The Department would also like to thank the Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Norton Publishers, Pearson Education, Broadview Press, and Oxford UP for their donations and support.