Join Adam Tessier for this one-session workshop!

Register here today: https://givebutter.com/LMj1s6

Suggested workshop fee: $50

We might think of poems as concise, but what about "compressed"? In lyric poetry, compression describes verse in which image and language are tightly bound with meaning and expressed with precision and economy. Poems with great compression need not be short, but they are always crisp and dense with potential for emotion and meaning. 

In this workshop, we'll be guided by the work of the great American poet Jean Valentine (1934–2020); examples will be provided ahead of time. Ideas we'll explore may include: the said and the unsaid; the role of silence and/or mystery in our poetry; openness to multiple meanings; and editing's role in concision and compression. 

Open to all interested writers. Participants are invited (but not required) to workshop a poem or excerpt of a longer work in which compression is a goal. Adam will be in touch to arrange. No previous experience required. Open to all who like reading and want to learn more about the craft of writing. 

Adam Tessier lives on the North Shore. A graduate of Vassar College and the Writing Seminars at Bennington College, he’s worked in museums and educational settings for nearly twenty years. As a teacher, he believes that deep reading and conversation will teach you all you need to know about writing poetry. His poems and essays have appeared widely in print and online journals.