The Poetics of Daily Speech

We’ve all felt the compulsion to whip out a thesaurus to give a piece of writing more oomph, whether it’s a poem or a job application. What is it that drives us to use words in our writing that we would never use in a normal conversation? How does the use of five-dollar words affect the way a poem is received? In this weekly drop-in class, we’ll explore the beauty of everyday language in poetry and the unique relationship it creates between writer and reader. Each week, we’ll look closely at poets past and present who use vernacular to complicate, subvert or transform ideas and experiences to invite the reader in. Then we’ll engage in a writing exercise to unpack daily speech and reconstruct it in a poem to give it new meaning.

(Note that drop-in classes are not a forum for critique of work; students looking for critique should register for multi-week workshops.)

COVID-19 Policy

Effective 2024, all event attendees are required to wear masks due to the current prevalence of cases in NYC. Masks will be available at the door.

The current metrics available, including NYC wastewater data and the CDC’s Respiratory Virus Activity Levels, both indicate high levels of COVID and other illnesses. While your personal risk tolerance may vary, the unmitigated spread of COVID and other respiratory illnesses disproportionately affects the most vulnerable in our community—including those who are immunocompromised or don’t have the privilege of paid sick days to heal and recover. We hope you’ll join us in taking the actions we can to make our space welcoming to all and to keep each other safe. Please stay home if you are experiencing symptoms, have a positive COVID test or someone close to you has recently tested positive.

We strongly encourage daytime visitors and workshop attendees to wear masks. Workshop instructors may choose to enforce a more stringent policy at their own discretion. Additionally, workshop participants may be required to wear masks as an accessibility accommodation for other participants.

While we do our best, Brooklyn Poets cannot guarantee zero risk. A risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in all public settings. By entering the building, students, teachers and other attendees accept the risk of exposure and knowingly waive and release Brooklyn Poets from any liability related to COVID-19.

Brooklyn Poets Code of Conduct

Brooklyn Poets will not tolerate any instances of discrimination, harassment or abuse in conjunction with any of our programs. Respect and consideration for others, both within and outside our programs, are core values to be upheld by all participants. Discrimination against and/or harassment of community members on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, religion, age, marital status, veteran status or any other factor is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Program participants are expected to adhere to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Should a board or staff member, independent contractor, volunteer or program participant be found to violate any aspect of the organization’s code of conduct, Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss them from the program. Consequences may include, but not be limited to, dismissal from the current activity, suspension, ineligibility for all future activities, and/or loss of payment or fees. If you have any issues to report, please do not hesitate to contact anyone on our Conduct Committee and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Deputy Director r kay: kay@brooklynpoets.org
Executive Director & Board Treasurer Jason Koo: koo@brooklynpoets.org
Board Director Miller Oberman: miller.oberman@gmail.com