I've tutored (if that's the right word) poetry workshops in lots of
different contexts over the last 20 years or so -- in schools and colleges,
in community and adult education, prisons, drug rehabs, literature
festivals, for little and big local or private writing groups.... all
sorts. Those attending have ranged across pretty much the social spectrum.
Sometimes some people had never written anything at all, sometimes I was
faced with a bunch of poets who I knew from magazines.
Workshops happen. They won't go away. I am happy they are there but I know
from experience that many of them are, to my mind, awful and badly taught.
There are plenty of bad teachers around, and many poets who have nothing
interesting to say about writing. I'm not sure we can do much about that, or
about the fact that many of them get lots of work.
Leaving that aside, surely the best way to run a workshop (or to teach, for
that matter) is to base everything you do upon honesty. In other words, make
it clear where you as a writer belong, and where your affinities and likes
are, but also be open to and listen to other ideas. I'd also go along with
Alison, who said that it's a chance to introduce people to new approaches,
new ways of thinking about themselves and their writing practices. (I'm
paraphrasing loosely, I think, but I think that was Alison's basic point.)
You can't teach anyone how to write poetry, but you can widen their range of
knowledge, reading, or whatever and maybe open a door a little. Or at least
you can have a stab at it.
Two reasons for accepting an invitation to run a workshop come to mind. (1)
Money, because being able to afford rent and food is good and (2) If you
don't do it, someone else will, and they will get the money and they may be
terrible at the job so do it yourself and ensure someone good does it.
But as with all teaching, it can be hard work, often rewarding and often
dispiriting. You can be the most welcoming, interesting, magnaminous,
articulate, innovative, friendly, beautiful or handsome, fascinating and
brilliant workshop leader in the world, and someone will still go home
afterwards thinking you are the biggest wanker they ever met. So it goes.
Best to all
Martin
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