Speculative Poetry Workshop with Akua Lezli Hope

About this event

Speculative poetry is the poetry of possibility, centering the imagined as real. Though often associated with science fiction and fantasy, its roots stretch back to the earliest surviving literature, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to the works of Enheduanna, the first known author. This ninety minute generative workshop introduces participants to the wide-ranging multiverse of speculative verse, exploring myth, folklore, futurism, alternate history, horror, magic, monsters, robots, solarpunk, time travel, and countless other imaginative realms. We’ll read contemporary and classic examples, respond to engaging prompts and exercises, and write original poems that venture through new portals of imagination. Whether you’re new to speculative poetry or an experienced writer, you’ll leave with fresh work, new creative tools, and an expanded sense of what’s possible in poetry. This workshop will be live, via zoom, and has a 12 person limit. Sign up required to get the zoom link. Akua Lezli Hope is a Grand Master of Fantastic Poetry (SFPA), wisdom seeker, and paraplegic creator of poems, patterns, stories, music, and sculpture, has been in print since 1974 with over 500 poems published. Her collections include Embouchure: Poems on Jazz and Other Musics (Writer’s Digest Book Award), THEM GONE, and Otherwheres: Speculative Poetry (Elgin Award). Her honors include NEA & NYFA fellowships; SFPA, Rhysling, CRITTER & IGNYTE awards; and NYSCA grants. She created the ongoing Speculative Sundays Poetry Reading Series and edited NOMBONO: An Anthology of Speculative Poetry by BIPOC Creators, the first of its kind. Her collection, TELEPATH, will be published by Gnashing Teeth Publishing in 2026. Find her at SpeculativePoetry.com, AkuaLezliHope.com, and DisabilityPoetics.com.

Description from ssclibrary.org