Read with Me: Tender Buttons by Gertrude Stein
A CARAFE, THAT IS A BLIND GLASS.
A kind in glass and a cousin, a spectacle and nothing strange a single hurt color and an arrangement in a system to pointing. All this and not ordinary, not unordered in not resembling. The difference is spreading.
While she’s often forgotten by the general public or ignored by formalists as an unwelcome aberration, Gertrude Stein has been a powerful force in some branches of poetry. Tender Buttons (published in 1914), one of her most influential books, was praised by writers like Ernest Hemingway, William Carlos Williams, and Mina Loy, accused of being a hoax or “gibberish,” and still has the power to surprise and astonish readers 100 years later. The Academy of American Poets suggests it is “perhaps more often written about than actually read.” It’s a short book, so let’s read it!
Course includes 15 instructor-led online forum discussions focused on poetic craft (in our private course area, with each lesson’s kickoff post sent to your email), four small-group peer-led Zoom calls, prompts for creating your own imitations / poetic responses, and an ongoing class forum where you can interact with other participants. There will be a lot of material and options provided: how deeply you want to participate will be up to you.
Cost: $50
Instructor: Meg Hartmann
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