The Poetics of What You Shouldn’t Write Poetry About

In this session, Andrew Lee Butler will discuss with members the insidious ways that Poetry can get in the way of our poetry. Sometimes, it’s helpful to clear your mind and write a poem about something you don’t think you should write a poem about. There won’t be any prompts, but there will be moments of generative interaction and participant input, so come prepared to think and willing to share.

About the Presenter

Andrew Lee Butler is a writer from Kingsport, TN. A graduate of East Tennessee State University and the MFA program at the University of Arkansas, he is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee, where he teaches English and Creative Writing. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts. His poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in the Oxford American, Rattle, Hobart, and elsewhere.