ENGL 032 PZ - Second Person Plural: Poetics of Correspondence

In this class, our experiments will be inspired by the work of writers who have opened up the possibility for two-way conversation in poetry. Students will compose their own imaginary letters, epistolary poems, and postal collaboration. We will consider the letter as a poetic form, and the poem as a kind of letter. What happens when we begin to unravel the boundary between writer and reader? When a poem is addressed to a particular person, how can the singular become plural? What does it take to surrender one’s own language, to turn as Virginia Woolf observed, “from the sheet that endures to the sheet that perishes?” Fulfills a creative writing elective.

Prerequisite(s): One previous creative writing course or instructor permission. Fulfills a creative writing elective.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.