PRELIMINARY COURSE SYLLABUS Quarter: Spring 2018

CourseTitle:No-FearPoetryCourseCode:POET150WInstructor:Dr.JoshuaRivkin CourseSummary:InhisbookTheTriggeringTown,poetRichardHugorelatesthisanecdote:ArnoldPalmerisaskedabouthisluckasagolfer.Herepliesthatthemorehepracticestheluckierheseemstobe.We’llputthatideatothetestasweflexourpoeticmusclestogether.Overtenweekswe’lltrylotsofwritingexercisesanddevelopourcraftaspoets.We’llreadterrificcontemporarypoetrywhichwillserveasmodelsforourownwork.Aspecialfocuswillbeontakingrisksaspoets,writingprovocative,imaginativepoems.Youwillreceiveconstructiveandhonestfeedbackfromtheinstructorandyourpeers.Alongtheway,we'llbuildacommunityofsupportiveandthoughtfulreaders.*Please see course page for full description and additional details. GradeOptionsandRequirements: This course may be taken for No Grade Requested, Credit/No Credit, or a Letter Grade. Because most students take these courses for personal enrichment, most students who choose Credit/No Credit or Letter Grade do so to help motivate themselves to get the most out the class. Whichever option you choose, the most important things are for you to enjoy yourself, try new things, give back to your fellow writers, and be part of the writing community. So, with this in mind: Students who take the course for Credit/No Credit need to finish their feedback to other writers, their own workshop submission, and at least two short writing assignments to receive Credit. To receive an “A” as a Letter Grade, students must: complete all Writing Assignments and feedback to other writers on time, and respond to at least one discussion points post each week. All other work is recommended, but will not be used for grading purposes. Grades will be reduced by a third of a letter (i.e. A to A-) for each short response or writing assignment that is missing and one full letter grade for missing the longer assignment. You will never be graded on the perceived quality of your creative work, just your getting it done in a timely manner! You can always change your grading option up until the last day of class by going to the Continuing Studies webpage.

PRELIMINARY COURSE SYLLABUS Quarter: Spring 2018

*PleaseNote:IfyourequireproofthatyoucompletedaContinuingStudiescourseforanyreason(forexample,employerreimbursement),youmustchooseeithertheLetterGradeorCredit/NoCreditoption.CoursestakenforNGRwillnotappearonofficialtranscriptsorgradereports. TextsREQUIRED A Poet’s Companion - edited by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux Best American Poetry 2017 – edited by Natasha Tretheway Bright Dead Things – Ada Limon Night Sky With Exit Wounds — Ocean Vuong The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart – Gabrielle Calvocoressi Tentative Zoom Schedule: Our Zoom schedule will be decided based on input from the members of the class and will rotate so that all class members have the possibility to attend. That said, Zoom sessions for my previous classes have often been around Wed or Thursday in the morning or around lunchtime (PST). Some weeks there might be shorter 1:1 Zoom meetings in place of a larger group conversation. TentativeWeeklyOutline:This is a tentative outline that will certainly change. Readings from the books will be supplemented with poems in online journals and magazines. Week 1 Thingness in Poetry Writing Exercise #1: No Ideas But In Things Reading assignment: Selection from A Poet’s Companion; Best American Poetry 2017

Week 2 Image and Metaphor Writing Exercise #2: Exploring the extended metaphor Reading assignments: Selection from A Poet’s Companion; Best American Poetry 2017 Week 3 The Turning of the Line / Self-Portraits Writing Exercise #3: Ars Poetica / Self-Portraits Reading assignments: Night Sky With Exit Wounds — Ocean Vuong

Week 4 The Fun of It: Sound, Rhyme, Meter Writing Exercise #4: Ghazals Reading assignments: Selected Ghazals; Selection from A Poet’s Companion

PRELIMINARY COURSE SYLLABUS Quarter: Spring 2018

Week 5 Place / Landscape / Grid Writing Exercise #5: Collage and Juggling Exercise Reading assignments: A Poet’s Companion; Bright Dead Things – Ada Limon Week 6 The Poet’s Voice: Tone / Diction Writing Exercise #6: Elegy / Villanelle Reading assignments: A Poet’s Companion; Anthology; Best American Poetry 2017 Week 7 The Lives of Others Writing Exercise #7: Persona Poems Reading assignments: The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart - Gabrielle Calvocoressi Week 8 The Art of Revision Writing Exercise #8: Revision Exercise Reading assignments: Journal Readings #1; A Poet’s Companion Week 9 Infinite possibilities, or How to Fall in Love with Syntax Writing Exercise #9: Ekphrasis – Writing about art Reading assignments: Selection from A Poet’s Companion Week 10 What’s Next? Reading assignments: Journal Readings #2