Beyond Rupi Kaur: The Art and Strategy of Instagram Poetry

In this three-hour workshop, we’ll take a look at the fascinating realm of Instapoetry – poetry crafted for and showcased on Instagram. Some people are big fans who find it exciting to discover poetry that meets them where they are, fits easily into their daily routines, and speaks clearly to their life experiences. The end-run around staid poetry gatekeepers and the financial success some poets have achieved (half a million dollars for a poem?) have also gotten much attention. Others are confused or even repulsed by this new form. Where is the artistry? Is this really a poem or just a quote or slogan? Is there literary merit, or is social media savvy and personal branding the real talent on display here?

This workshop is intended for those curious to learn more about this new poetry frontier (no matter your degree of enthusiasm or skepticism) from another poet who has waded in, observed, and experimented with using Instagram to share her own work. We’ll explore the issues above as well as ways that any poet can make use of Instapoetry techniques. We’ll start by taking a glimpse at how the platform works and how some poets have used it to build their careers, then dig a little deeper to see how a wider variety of poets are using Instagram (participants are encouraged to bring their own examples of poets they’ve noticed deploying social media in interesting ways). Then, we’ll discuss how to determine if using the platform is right for you and present some practical tips for sharing your work safely, building a sense of community, and growing a following. There are no prerequisites, and you don’t need to have an Instagram account or a desire to open one to participate!

When: On a weekend day to be determined from 12:30 pm EST to 3:30 pm EST. A replay recording will be sent to all students.

Where: Zoom

Cost: $35

Instructor: Ana Reisens

What You’ll Need: Bring links to poets (Instapoets or not) doing interesting things with their work on social media (optional).

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