Poetry workshop with Dr. Gene Hirsch Oct. 13th

Twenty-first century poetry is replete with poetry that expresses thoughts and feelings free from the constraints of traditional forms and grammatical constraints of prose. Many write poetry about those things in our lives that affect us. However, they confine their writing to narrative and description of surface events, missing the opportunity to capture deeper meanings beneath the words. If you are interested in capturing these deeper meanings, come to a workshop given by Dr. Gene Hirsh on Saturday, October 13, from 10 am - 4 pm at the Murphy Library.

This workshop gives you an opportunity to explore ways of expressing what you might want to say about your life beneath the level of narrative and description, without exposing vulnerabilities. We will explore elements of human nature and the human condition common to all of us and poetic expression. These innate human qualities permit our poetry to touch our own selves as well as others. We will express these qualities in effective ways, ways that give us our individual voices. We will work to develop tools that can be used long after this workshop ends.

The leader, Gene Hirsch, is a poet whose home is right here amongst writers in the community. Nancy Simpson and Gene started the Netwest Critique group in 1990. He started the writing program at the John C. Campbell Folk School, and was its first Resident Poet. He has been on faculty there ever since. He has edited and struggled since 1998 with Freeing Jonah, a Folk School Anthology, about to see its fifth edition. Genes¿ poetry has been published in medical and non-medical journals, anthologies, and books and he has taught poetry to healthcare workers.

Gene is a geriatrician, a doctor who teaches and cares for older people and now, dying people and their loved ones. Currently he is director of the Physician Education Program at Forbes Hospice, Pittsburgh, PA. He is also a Fellow of distinguished Medical Societies and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, Honor Medical Society. His greatest pride rests with dear writer friends in western North Carolina and north Georgia areas.

To register for Dr. Gene Hirsch's workshop, contact Mary Ricketson, at 828-837- 4107. The North Carolina Writers¿ Network West is a chapter of the North Carolina Writers¿ Network and sponsored by United Community Bank.