Poet and longtime literary producer for KUOW 94.9 public radio, Elizabeth Austen will teach poets and poetry-lovers “how to bring language to life” in a workshop at Doe Bay Retreat on Sunday, April 10. She will perform herself that evening.
“Beyond the Page: Poems Aloud, Poems Alive” is an interactive, pay-what-you-can class from 1 to 4 p.m.. Austen, a dynamic poetry performer, has been featured at the Skagit River Poetry Festival, Richard Hugo House Literary Series, Bumbershoot and elsewhere.
“Something magical is possible in a performance that doesn’t happen anywhere else: something electric, immediate, and entirely ephemeral…an exchange between performer and audience that is fluid and a little bit dangerous,” said Austen, who frequently teaches the art of poetry aloud. The workshop will provide concrete tools to improve reading skills and public presence.
“Performing poems for an audience doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but it can be learned, and the exploration can help you become a better reader and writer,” said Austen. “The process involves becoming intimate with the poem; fortunately, it turns out that this is most pleasurable work and extremely useful for revision. We’ll explore the physical nature of language, and practice embodying the poem, backing it up with breath, voice and body.”
Bring your own poems or poems by another. The workshop is applicable to all styles of poetry.
That evening at 7 p.m. Austen will read from her new full-length poetry collection, “Every Dress a Decision.” Poet Jane Hirshfield describes Austen’s work as “powerfully original in both vision and voice.” Austen’s voice may be familiar to some, as for the past 10 years she’s produced author interviews and poetry commentary for KUOW 94.9 public radio. She has also authored two chapbooks, The Girl Who Goes Alone (Floating Bridge Press, 2010) and Where Currents Meet, one of four winners of the Toadlily Press chapbook award and part of the quartet, Sightline. She last read on Orcas Island in 2009 through the Artsmith residency program.
For more information about the events, email eausten@earthlink.net or visit http://elizabethausten.wordpress.com/. Both events are sponsored by SPLAB.
