Poetry Project

Topeka Birth and Women Center
Artemis
Kansas Government and Mores

Poetry Project

The Rise and Fall of D-- Kensing--.

New Project

Houses of My Ancestry

Sounds mythological, and it is. I just found out about Etzel Dairy--something Carrie and I have a huge interest in, around raw milk and how it was delivered to Oakland, Little Russia (Roosha), and North Topeka.

Plus, my Grandpa Jack built the house my Grandma Ruby, my mom, and aunt grew up in.

Poetic Memoir Washburn University EN199 EN399 Summer First Session Online

EN199/399: CW Poetic Memoir. This special topics creative writing class explores mixed-genre/contemporary form examples from writers who use verse, prose, image, appropriation, experimentation, and form to "show" their autobiography/memoir. Students will write their own poetic memoirs inspired by these examples. No previous creative writing experience necessary.

Please ask your advisor to see if this can fulfill a Gen Ed requirement or an upper-level course requirement for your major.

No experience is necessary for the course as we go over examples and question what makes a memoir (what it is and can be), what makes a poem (what it is and can be), then move into two contemporary poetic memoirs. The three books for the course will be my book of poetry The Sum of Two Mothers, Joseph Harrington's Things Come On, and Kaia Sand's Remember to Wave.

Really, these examples set a launching point for students to write their own poetic memoirs, coming up with three to four small projects to help launch larger projects to move forward with after the class is over.

The course is designed so you can approach your writing with whatever major you are, your interests--your life!

Poetry Workshop Exercises for Health Care Professionals

I am working on a book-length workshop book aimed at giving health-care professionals or poets going into such workshops both advice and lessons. Are you such a person? Would you find this beneficial? Please send me an email!

http://www.dennisetzeljr.com/contact.html

Projects

Quindaro: needs research
Tallgrass Prairie: needs research and visits
My boys + Willow
Two Mothers: continuation
My Springboards of 2004

Quindaro

My Strike Out project is finished, so I'm off to working on the Kansas project--with Quindaro as the central metaphor. I only recently heard of Quindaro, which is not surprising as I am in Topeka. It reminds me of a conversation between Carrie and a family friend:

Carrie: Dennis is growing a John Brown beard.
Martha: Who is John Brown?

Martha was raised in St Louis, in KC now. However, if she grew up in Lawrence there would be no confusion. Even in Topeka, a lot of the Bleeding Kansas history was barely covered.

Which is why Quindaro is important to talk about now, as it has been ever since.