Erasure Poems: Finding the Hidden Truth in Texts
Erasure Poems: Finding the Hidden Truth in Texts
Erasure poems give you the chance to construct poem from otherwise non-poetic texts. The poet Kiki Petrosino has a number of these poems in her book White Blood from the results of her DNA test, and they are powerful testaments to what’s included and what’s left out. In these days, when poets are using their voices in social protest, I find erasure poems to be powerful tools. In my work documenting the murders of trans and gender nonconforming people this year, I’ve written a handful of erasures from FBI affidavit, from news articles, and a GoFundMe narrative. In each case, by removing some words and leaving others, I’ve created a new record that communicates a different message hidden in the original. In this class, we’ll look at some erasure poems, and do a short exercise with a text of your choosing in which you’ll create and share your erasure.
Subhaga Crystal Bacon is the author of two volumes of poetry: Blue Hunger (2020, Methow Press) and Elegy with a Glass of Whisky (BOA Editions, 2004). A cis-gender, Queer identified woman, she lives, writes, and teaches on the east slope of the North Cascade Mountains, in Twisp, WA. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Florida Review, Lavender Review, Bombay Review, and River Heron Review. She's currently working on a collection of poems commemorating trans and gender nonconforming women and men murdered this year.
Join Subhaga for this workshop on December 27, 2020 from 10am-12:30pm PST.
This event is part of the Innisfree Workshop Series, in support of the legendary, on-hiatus nexus poetic, Innisfree Poetry Bookstore. Donations will help the shop pay closing costs associated with COVID-19... and rise from the ashes later.
A Zoom link for this event will be provided to participants before the event begins. If you do not receive the link up to three hours before the event begins, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] or [email protected]
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