Poetics of Food with Steven Espada Dawson

Eating and drinking are languages fixed to the most fundamental ways we survive. Across the world, they are embedded in cultures and traditions, both budding and ancient, often as some part of spiritual practice. When we’re ill, we eat curated foods. When we’re too ill, we lose our appetites. There are spaces in every society set aside for eating and drinking. From temples to restaurant booths, these spaces and these acts become some of the most intimate. Sometimes tender, often awkward. Sometimes profound. 13th Century Sufi poet Rumi writes, “O God, I am your spinach—cook me sour or sweet, however you wish.” In this class we will feast on poems and make recipes of our own. We will read contemporary voices, including Lucille Clifton, Nate Marshall, Chessy Normile, and José Olivarez. After brushing up on some craft basics—where we will develop a shared language—we will focus primarily on image, syntax, and line. You should expect to emerge from the workshop with a better understanding of these concepts and experience creating and revising in a collaborative space.