Award-winning poet leading poetry workshop in Knoxville

KNOXVILLE -- Award-winning poet Helga Kidder, co-founder of the Chattanooga Writers Guild, will lead a writing workshop focused on the sometimes difficult and frustrating revision process.

"As poets, should we, like John Keats dress to the nines before approaching revision or simply get to the task of reading the poem over and over, share it with other poets, or put it in a drawer for another time?," Kidder said.

"This workshop will show you what is important to your poem, what is not, and what can be expanded on in order to reach the poem's full potential. If you are willing to dig deeper and if you have a poem that needs revision, come."

The workshop will be held from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Stone House, Church of the Savior, 934 North Weisgarber Road.

The workshop will be divided into two parts. Kidder will explain how poets should approach revision and the three types of revision available - reductive, additive and deep, during the first part. She will also share examples of each type of revision and discuss the importance of titles, the importance of each line, the importance of the first and last lines and cohesiveness of the poem.

During the second part, participants will implement one of the types of revision with input from Kidder and other workshop participants. The workshop will conclude with a prompt for and work on a new poem.

Kidder is a native of Germany and received her Master's in Fine Arts in poetry from Vermont College in 1994. She leads the Chattanooga Writers Guild's poetry group. Her poetry and translations have appeared in "The Louisville Review," "The Southern Indiana Review," "The Spoon River Poetry Review," "Comstock Review," "Voices International" and "Quiddity," among many others. Recently, her poetry was recently featured in "Southern Light: Twelve Contemporary Southern Poets." Her chapbook, "Why I Reach for the Stars," was a finalist in the Firewheel Chapbook competitions, and her chapbook, "Wild Plums," was published by Finishing Line Press in 2012. "Luckier than the Stars" will be published by Blue Light Press in 2013.

Cost for the workshop is $25 for KWG members and $30 for nonmembers. To register, go to www.knoxvillewritersguild.org or send your check to KWG Workshops, P.O. Box 10326, Knoxville TN 37939-0326.

Space is limited to 12 participants. Once registered for the workshop, participants should e-mail one poem that is in the revision stage to Kidder at helga.kidder@comcast.net. Twelve copies of the poem should be brought to the workshop.

Published September 12, 2012