Can we translate earth voices or invoke the buried layers of ecology and natural history when writing about the natural world? Aldo Leopold wrote, “There is…drama in every bush, if you can see it.” This workshop will invite participants to create works of poetry, creative non-fiction, and mixed-genre writing arising from encounters in the field. The day will include short explorations of the prairie and woods along the Wisconsin River, discussions of sample readings, directed writing exercises, instructions on craft, and the process of writing, reflecting, and “translating” our nature experiences into creative works. The workshop will conclude with a group sharing of the best of our day’s work. All levels of experience are welcome!

Kimberly Blaeser, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate (2015-2016), teaches creative writing, Native American literature, and American nature writing. Blaeser is Anishinaabe and an enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. She grew up on the White Earth Reservation in northwestern Minnesota amid a vibrant natural world, and there first received teachings on earth ethics and living in respectful reciprocity. She is a nature photographer and the author or editor of six books, including three poetry collections: Apprenticed to Justice, Absentee Indians, and Trailing You. Read more about Kimberly here. 

Class limit: 20
Cost: $75

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