Register at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/virtual-poetry-workshop-with-kyla-yen-huynh-giffin.
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
Unruly, Ungovernable, Unfathomable Poetry
What makes a poem, a poem? Who’s to say whether something isn’t a poem? How do you know if what a poem describes is true or false, fact or fiction, and does it matter? Who decides who the poets are? In this workshop with Kyla-Yến Huỳnh Giffin, you will unpack and rewrite the so-called “rules” of writing poems, read work by some of the greatest rulebreakers of poetry, and lean into the boundless and ever-expanding possibilities of poetry by writing poems that defy form, technique, language, societal norms, oppressive systems, empires, and even reality itself.
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Kyla-Yến Huỳnh Giffin (they/them) is a queer and trans, biracial, Vietnamese American diaspora writer whose work revolves around themes of dreaming, fantasizing, and futurizing, and focuses on topics of diaspora, transness, ecology, empire, and intergenerational histories. They are a Press Editor for Half Mystic Press, a Co-Coordinator for Sundress Publications’ Poets in Pajamas reading series, and an Associate Editor for Iron Horse Literary Review. Kyla-Yến’s work has been nominated for Best of the Net and Best Small Fictions, and has appeared in The Offing, Oroboro, fifth wheel press, Vănguard, and other publications. They have been awarded residencies, workshops, and/or fellowships from Tin House, the Sundress Academy for the Arts (SAFTA), Seventh Wave, Abode Press, and more. You can visit Kyla-Yến's author page at www.kylayenhuynhgiffin.com, and find them on Instagram @yenshrine.
ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility is a core value for Split This Rock. We strive to provide programs, materials, and communications that allow people within the disability community to engage fully. Zoom auto-captions will be provided. Written versions of poem prompts and poems used for discussion will be provided via screen share, the chat, or links.
Let us know of any accessibility questions or accommodation requests via the workshop registration form or by emailing info@splitthisrock.org with "ACCESS REQUEST" in the subject line by Thursday, January 8th. Given our ongoing funding challenges, we cannot promise accessibility services, but will do our best to provide accommodations.
ABOUT SPLIT THIS ROCK
Split This Rock is the only national organization with a mission to integrate poetry and social justice. We materially support poets who are often excluded and underrepresented in the literary landscape, particularly those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled or chronically ill, and/or working class. With strong commitments to racial, gender, economic, and disability justice, we work to expand the horizons of inclusion and assert the transformative power of language to bear witness to injustice and provoke social change. We believe poetry acts as an agent for change by revealing the diversity and complexity of human experience, reflecting on daily lives and struggles, considering personal and social responsibility, and envisioning a better world. Learn more at Split This Rock's website.