“Poetry is an investigation, not an expression, of what you know.”
– Mark Doty
WORKSHOPS and EDITING
I have extensive teaching experience, and have run poetry workshops for groups of poets for years, including Moor Poets, a Devon-based poetry organisation, of which I’m a member. I’m available to offer workshops for groups of adults (up to 12); please contact me for more information. I also offer editing of poems and poetry collections; again, please contact me to discuss this further.
Talking with the Dead – an intriguing title for a workshop. This was one of Sue’s workshops so I knew this would be a fascinating and productive day as we considered the emotional, physical and mysterious effects of death.
Her meticulous pre-planning of her workshops took us from a writing exercise, exploring with us our own attitudes to death, on through the reading and short discussion of a dozen poems (authors’ names not given and so more surprising when revealed). Interlaced with such amazing words were our own efforts at talking with our personal dead.
I came away from the workshop with the bones of five poems, all of which I have worked on since. Perhaps more importantly I learnt to look at death and to talk to the dead without fear.
(workshop participant, October 2019)
Sue has a kindness and a willingness to help friends which makes her a sympathetic, creative writing and poetry tutor. She creates a warm and relaxed atmosphere when taking a group that enables poets to develop their writing with confidence. I’m sure she will be a great success with any group.
(workshop participant, October 2019)