Healing & Poetry Workshop

Healing can be the overt subject of a poem, or healing can be the result of the poem. Poetry can work to heal the poet—think of poetry as explicit therapy, as in the work of poets Ellen Bass or John Fox. Poetry can work to heal the reader—“Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason,” as Novalis puts it. The poet can be a healer, if healing is her vocation. We have many great physician-poets—John Keats, William Carlos Williams, Fady Joudah, Rafael Campo. Or the poet can be a metaphorical healer, offering solace and strength to the psyche. A variety of poets participating in this panel will share poems and provide perspectives on the interplay of healing and poetry.

• Grey Brown
• Krystin Gollihue
• Vincent Kopp
• Grace Ocasio
• Calvin Olsen
• Jacinta White

The Healing and Poetry panel is part of the 2016 West End Poetry Festival. For the full schedule of events, click here.