2018 Massachusetts Poetry Festival

Poems will always tell stories. How to tell them effectively varies greatly. Each panelist, Rhina Espaillat, Jacquelyn Malone, David Surette and Rich Youmans has found a way to articulate his or her voice using a specific poetic form. Some of these forms rely on elements of song (meter, rhyme, repetition); others rely on a hybrid of prose and poetry to create imaginative leaps. As moderator, Alice Kociemba will explore with the panelists how they found their forms, why a form works for a particular story and what is gained and sacrificed by their choice. An open exchange among the panelists and with the audience will be facilitated so that attendees will leave this session with an expanded repertoire of strategies to make their own poems sing.