ENGL 032 PZ -Poetics of Correspondence

Institution: Pitzer

Description: 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 oneï¿½s own language, to turn as Virginia Woolf observed, ï¿½from the sheet that endures to the sheet that perishes?ï¿½ This course will be conducted primarily by postal mail (with supplemental online components). Pre-requisite: one college-level course in creative writing or literature.

Prerequisite(s): One previous creative writing course or instructor permission. Fulfills a creative writing elective. Please also check the current course schedule for requirements.

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