Poetic Voice/ Poetic Process - a Year-long exploration in Poetry with Jeanine Walker

What makes a poem? Why do you write? What can you say in a poem that you’ve struggled to say in any other form? What does the practice of great poets look like? How do poets make poems work? What moves are necessary to create a lasting impression in a poem? What does your poetic voice sound like? What is it you have to say?

With Jeanine at the helm, 8 selected students will explore these questions thoroughly in a dedicated intensive environment. Together, class members will read pages and pages of poems, engage in a rigorous discussion about what makes the poems work, complete assignments to generative writing prompts, write four-minute poems daily, and participate in a supportive, inspiring workshop of their own poems.

Class admission is by application. Students will be selected based on their work sample, their commitment to a shared learning experience, and how they are deemed able to help each other grow. This is a class that could be equally appropriate for someone very new to poetry and for someone who’s been writing for a while and is looking for accountability, community, and to continue to grow as a writer.

 A deep knowledge of poetry comes through steady practice of writing and studying great poets. We each have our unique poetic voices. In this class, you will uncover yours and learn exciting ways to harness it in order to write the best poems you can.

Poetic Process is Year 2 of the Poetic Voice series, with one available spot for the 2026-27 school year.

Students are saying:

“Jeanine's Poetic Voice class is full of rigor and heart. With the weekly craft focus, curated readings, thoughtful feedback, and positive accountability, my poetry improved significantly over the course of the year. Having the space and challenge to immerse myself in poetry over several months turned out to be exactly what I needed to strengthen my autonomy and courage as a poet. It was also an absolute delight to experience our collective progress!” – Liz Femi, Poetic Voice 2025-26

 “My classes with Jeanine helped me to expand my understanding of poetry and as a consequence improve my own writing. Jeanine is an astute poet and an excellent instructor.” - Brian Christopher Giddens, Poetic Voice 2025-26