WORD A Creative Writing Commentary

Author: Tristan Hayes

Eight years ago, emerging from a pivotal experience at Bread Loaf Writers Conference, David Weinstock founded The Otter Creek Poets. The group, free and open to all, meets weekly to workshop poems. This past week, I interviewed David on the role of the writing workshop and the importance of poetry as an art form. This collection of poetry lovers includes approximately 20 regulars and many college-educated retirees. Also among them are former teachers, attorneys and ministers. There are even professional writers and editors, some of whom have published poems and novels.

One of the many benefits of a workshop environment, according to David, is that it can tell a writer whether his work communicates with a clarity. "It's a reality check," says David. "Writing poetry is a very private experience, and that can lead to the use of private symbolism, private logic, even private syntax. Workshops bring you out into the world. It's a very sheltered world still, and it's safe, but it's far more public than the inside of your head." A workshop gives writers insight into why they write and for whom and enables them to find out what poetry can accomplish.

When workshopping a poem, David says, the foremost issues to consider are its clarity and unity. A good poem is one whose scope is narrow but deep. "A very common bad poem," explained David, "is one that attempts to cover five noble emotions and express disapproval of seven government policies." Essentially, to explain his meaning, "If you're all over the map, you aren't anywhere at all."

The next issue to consider is whether a poem is taking advantage of its musical possibilities. A poem that does not employ tactics of sound and wordplay does not perform its whole job. "Poetry is not a minor art," according to David. "It's a mother art." It is the fundamental building block of all literature and the arts. Davis cites drama, music, fiction and cinema as having their origins in poetry.

When asked what a workshop like The Otter Creek Poets adds to the town of Middlebury, David responds, "Any group of people that meets with a common purpose becomes a community. You get to know each other, help each other out and get involved in each other's lives. It's an event for some people who otherwise don't get out much, whether it be because they are bookworm introverts, elderly or disabled. And it helps celebrate many different kinds of creativity and diverse voices."

The workshop is open to Middlebury College students. Anyone interested can show up on Thursday at 1 p.m. in the downstairs meeting room of Ilsley Public Library. And if you just want to talk poetry, you can email David at david.weinstock@gmail.com.