Book Fest Workshop: Fearless Truth-Telling: The Power of Owning Your Story

R.B. Simon and Lisa Marie Brodsky

This workshop will focus on the premise that drawing from your own life makes for potent storytelling. When writing their unflinching truths, poets are often assumed to be "confessional poets”, yet we believe that drawing on specific, personal observations and experiences lends itself to crafting more universally human and powerful poetry. In our session, we'll discuss how to turn one’s own subjective truths into a specific, yet relatable narrative by becoming conscientiously vulnerable. We'll discuss what details to share, how to craft the "world of the poem", and how to practice self-care when diving deep into sensitive topics.