Bouncing Around Poetic Ideas In a Joint Session Between Teachers and Young Writers @CWPFairfield

It took me until day five of CWP-Fairfield's summer work to break out the balloons. I only had nine and they were all green, but they worked just the same.

The purpose? Because yesterday 12 teachers and 16 playwrights and poets met to participate in the Magic Box poem workshop where I emphasized the importance of seeing poetry as linguistic ping pong. Rather than have them pong the ping balls across tables, I let them tap balloons as they got to know one another (LEAPing beyond age categories and rolls) and discussed who they were as writers in relationship to prose.

There's something Zen about hitting a balloon and keeping it in the air that allows individuals to relax, talk, play, and be okay with being silly. It was a great way, too, to set up for the workshop presented by the Diva, Attallah Sheppard, and me.

We filled up a room in Canisius Hall and set out to compose. I think by the silence in the room, and once we began writing, that the Magic Box poem was a hit. I actually left for a short while to check on the Young(er) Writers Institute for Big Imaginations and the Young Adult Literature course as students and teachers composed together.

The seeds were planted and not a single balloon popped. I'll take that as a successful indication that we spent 90 minutes well.