I attended the fifth annual Write-on Writers Conference Saturday, April 30 in Coshocton, Ohio, along with fellow Y-City Writers member, Rita Smith. We had a great time with some great people, enjoying the camaraderie as well as the displays set up.
A full-time professor at OSU from 1968 to 2001, specializing in American literature, poetry and folklore, Dan Barnes, Professor Emeritus, spoke at the opening session on The Sense of an Ending: Some Models for Poets and Writers. Dr. Barnes used excerpts from short stories, book reviews, poems, and a Frost as well as a Dickinson manuscript worksheet, along with playing the piano, to demonstrate how successful closure to any literary work is not only necessary, but how it can be achieved and even reinforced.
The first session I attended dealt with narrative poetry, and although it seemed intended for newer writers, I enjoyed the variety of narrative poetry presented as examples. The presenters used poems by Robert Frost and Li Young Lee, as well as their own, and the discussion that ensued was lively and interesting. They also included in the handout three writing exercises designed specifically for narrative poets to encourage more people to write poetry of this type. (If you’re interested in seeing the handout, let me know.)
I participated in the second session conducted by Dan Barnes entitled “Poetic Closure,” which dealt in more depth with issues introduced in the opening session. In order to participate in this particular workshop, each participant had to submit three of their own poems prior to the conference so Dr. Barnes could specifically show each individual closural strategies to improve and strengthen his/her own poem. I learned so much from listening to his analysis of each person’s poem and his suggestions for improvement.
Other workshop sessions included “Taking Your Book from Idea to Publication,” “Technology for Writers,” “Tweaking Ideas and Slanting Your Stories,” and “Songwriting.” The closing featured three Ohio Poetry Association poets who read some of their poems, and then an Open Mic session for workshop participants rounded out the day. Let me know if you need any information on any of the topics presented.
*An additional tidbit of information that might be interesting to the older crowd that I gleaned from the conference: Did you know anyone 60 years old and older can take free classes at any of the Ohio universities and colleges?
*Dan Barnes also recommended the following short stories: Hemingway’s “A Canary for One,” Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” and Kipling’s “The Gardener.”
