Best American Poetry: Loren Goodman Discusses Latest Workshops in Seoul

Loren Goodman blogs spectaculicious at Best American Poetry. Topics include his course entitled, "Poetry as a Second Language"; book lists, and Scratch 'n Sniffs.  More posts continue to roll through the blogoshpere for a limited time.

As some commenters have mentioned, anyone would be lucky to have Loren as an instructor. A fact to which I can wholeheartedly agree. Whenever I visited his classes at Yonsei University, I felt like I was part of some wonderful, secret experiment. It was like going into Wonka's factory. In fact, I would often leave the classroom and instantly wish I was back. 

I suppose that's one thing we take for granted in great writing workshops. Recently, I visited a workshop participant who attended The Jack Kerouac School shortly after I did, and they were telling me how they decided to enter the program after visiting a class run by Bobbie Louise Hawkins, where I, among a fabulous cast of others, were in heated discussions on storytelling. 

"I wrote notes for my entry into the program right there during that class," the student told me.

"I never knew that."

"That's how it happened. The class was so great. I was so inspired that I just started writing on my visiting tour."

"That's crazy. A free class and so much more."

"Yeah, it was."

Like Bobbie's classes, Loren's workshops are filled with discovery. I hope I can one day have a class as exciting and fulfilling as one of theirs. I also hope I can make films of some of these classrooms, so I can visit them long after I attend. Maybe, that way, I'll feel better about taking some of my workshop experiences for granted.   

Check out some of Loren's amazing students and workshop exercises. They are phenomenal.