Time and Poetic Structure: A Workshop with L.A. Johnson

Poems are concerned with time­—the recounting of events and experience—but are also outside of time, existing in a place beyond the limits of linear time. Our lives are made up both by what is happening in the moment, what has happened in the past, and what will happen in the future, but how do we write poems that capture this experience of time? In this three-hour workshop, we will explore how to layer multiple times or scenes within a poem, and how a poem can capture nonlinear time. This workshop will be a mix of lecture, guided close readings of poems, and generative writing. In considering time, we will focus on poetic structure, considering the many ways the container of the poem can capture at once the past, present, and future. Although geared towards poets, this workshop will be useful for writers of all genres who aim to grapple with the complexities of time in their work.

Thanks to L.A. Johnson’s generosity, all proceeds from this workshop will benefit Beyond Baroque's programming and mission.

About the Facilitator

L. A. Johnson is the author of the chapbook Little Climates (Bull City Press, 2017). She holds an MFA from Columbia University and a PhD from University of Southern California, where she is currently a Mellon Humanities and University of the Future postdoctoral fellow. The winner of the 2022 Mississippi Review Poetry Prize, the 2022 Greensboro Review Poetry Prize, the 2021 Arts & Letters Rumi Poetry Prize, her poems appear in The Atlantic, Poetry Magazine, and The Slowdown. She's received support for her writing from Vermont Studio Center, Community of Writers, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Sewanee Writers' Conference, and elsewhere. Find more about her at http://www.la-johnson.com.

About Beyond Baroque

is one of the United States' leading independent Literary | Arts Centers and public spaces dedicated to expanding the public's knowledge of poetry, literature and art through cultural events and community interaction. Founded in 1968 as an experimental literary magazine, Beyond Baroque is based out of the original City Hall building in Venice, California. The Center offers a diverse variety of literary and arts programming including readings and workshops. The building also houses a bookstore with a large collection of new poetry books for sale.

Ticket purchase is required. Tickets will be available at the Beyond Baroque bookstore on the day of the event, but we recommend registering in advance through Eventbrite. Masks are encouraged while inside our center. Please arrive early.

Event attendees are expected to behave in a respectful and considerate manner while in our space. Beyond Baroque reserves the right to remove individuals from our events, virtual or otherwise, if they are not respecting the space, staff, fellow attendees, or performers.

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