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What can we learn from our favorite poems? In this craft lab, we'll read and discuss several of instructor Nicole Sealey's favorite poems. Within each, we'll explore the line, imagery, diction, surprise and more. We'll also receive writing prompts related to the poems and the things we learn from them.
All participants will have access to a cloud recording of the craft lab for one month afterward. The recording will be shared within a week following the craft lab.
Closed captions for the event will be available via Zoom. To request additional accommodations or more information, please contact us at bkp@brooklynpoets.org. Note that by attending you agree to abide by our code of conduct below.
Nicole Sealey was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and raised in Apopka, Florida. She is the author ofThe Ferguson Report: An Erasure, winner of the 2024 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Poetry and a finalist for the NAACP Image Award in Poetry, and an excerpt from which was awarded the Forward Prize for Best Single Poem. She is also the author of Ordinary Beast, finalist for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named, winner of the Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize. With poet John Murillo, she edited the anthology Dear Yusef: Essays, Letters and Poems, for and about One Mr. Komunyakaa. Her honors include the Princeton Arts and Hodder Fellowships from Princeton University, a Cullman Center Fellowship from the New York Public Library, a Rome Prize in Literature from the American Academy in Rome, the Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize from the American Poetry Review, the Poetry International Prize, an Amy Clampitt Residency, and fellowships from CantoMundo, Cave Canem, the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She is a Distinguished Lecturer in the Department of English at Hunter College.
About our Craft Labs
Our Craft Labs are three-hour webinars offering deep-dives into elements of poetic craft, ranging from formal techniques to approaches to the writing process and revision. These sessions are primarily lecture-based, but often include guided writing activities and end with a Q&A with the instructor. An integral part of our Mentorship Program curriculum, the labs are the only part of the curriculum open to the public. These are open to writers of all backgrounds and experience levels. These are structured as webinars, so attendees will not be on video during the talk but can interact via the chat.
By attending this group you agree to abide by our policies below. Thank you for respecting our community!
Our Policies: Community Agreements, Mask Policy, and Accessibility
Community Agreements
At Brooklyn Poets, we are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive, welcoming and nurturing environment, which allows for mental, emotional and physical well-being, free from intentional harm. We value personal accountability, responsibility and respect for those participating.
We understand that each of us will misstep because we are continuously learning, and we lead with the assumption that others are doing the best they can with the knowledge and experiences they have. We also believe that each of us, individually and collectively, has a responsibility to acknowledge and address behaviors that harm others. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or harm based on factors of identity. If harm occurs, we will intervene using a harm-reductionist, transformative justice framework.
To ensure that we are creating and maintaining a space that aligns with our values, we ask that all participants, staff, faculty, board members, collaborators and community members challenge themselves to meet the following principles:
Center community
Show up with an active commitment to move outside of the systems and norms that perpetuate harm, particularly the intersecting systems of oppression and marginalization that cause the most harm to the most vulnerable amongst us. Challenge yourself to listen without defensiveness when others in the community tell you that your actions have caused harm. Create space for learning and repair while giving yourself compassion when your impact does not align with your intent.
Engage with intention
You’ve chosen to be here for a reason, so while you’re here: Listen fully when others are speaking. Speak authentically. Be aware of the space you take up and ensure you’re creating space for others. Make the most of what we can offer each other.
Embrace uncertainty and (principled) discomfort
Remain open to new ideas, methods or approaches, even if they don’t align with your expectations or preferences. Recognize that the work needed to move through tensions, disagreements, complexities and harms in ways that honor a shared commitment to growth often require us to spend time feeling uncertain and uncomfortable.
Respect, affirm and uplift one another
Respect others' perspectives and identities shared with you—including race, cultural background, gender expression and pronouns, sexual orientation, religion, class identity and ability. Don’t make assumptions about anyone’s identity, background or experiences.
Respect your own well-being
Prioritize your own physical, mental and emotional well-being—stretch, eat, drink water, go off camera, take a breath, use the restroom or step outside when needed. Reach out to your instructor, classmates or Brooklyn Poets staff when you need help or support in doing so. If you need accommodations to help you do so, reach out to bkp@brooklynpoets.org.
These principles reflect our collective commitment to creating an environment that acknowledges, supports and values all community members. Individual workshops and other spaces may create additional agreements for collective engagement. If you have an experience to share or a need for mediation, please email feedback@brooklynpoets.org, which will send your message to everyone noted below and is the fastest path to reach us. If you’re more comfortable contacting someone individually, or your experience relates to one of the individuals listed, you can contact anyone listed individually and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Executive Director r. kay: renee@brooklynpoets.org
Board President Eugenia Leigh: eugenia.leigh@gmail.com
Board Vice-President Miller Oberman: miller.oberman@gmail.com
Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss anyone from our programs (without refund) for actions deemed detrimental to staff, faculty, and/or other participants. This includes but is not limited to making unwanted sexual comments and/or advancements; using misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, and/or racially insensitive language; and aggressive or belligerent behavior.
These community agreements are heavily indebted to our own Transformative Justice work with Community Jewelbox and the following organizations we looked to for inspiration in terms of structure: Cave Canem & Tin House.
Accessibility
Closed captions will be available for the event through the Zoom livestream. For more information and to request additional accommodations, contact us at bkp@brooklynpoets.org.