Hammers, Mirrors, Restive Hands: Documentary Poetics

Date and Time

• Tuesday, Jul 21, 2026  4pm - 9pm

Location

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Details

Saussure says that language is at every moment a product of the past. Ergo, perhaps the poet is a kind of a historian. Our task, then, is to seize a memory at the moment of danger, to resist becoming a tool of the ruling class. Documentary poetics (the practice of composing from other texts) is an underworld practice—a channeling or summoning, necromancy or possession—a critical tool we can leverage against power and institutions, an examination of our own position or complicity.

And so, what we’re going to do in this workshop is:

- Introduce the movement or process known as documentary poetics
- Read and discuss one or two of the following authors—Layli Long Soldier, Muriel Rukeyser, Anne Carson, M Nourbese Philip, Solmaz Sharif, Nicole Sealey
- Glance briefly at theory
- Think about how documentary might fit into your own work
- Give you a little space to get started
- Share and receive on-the-spot feedback
- Provide references and resources for future reading

Please note: writers of all backgrounds and experiences are welcome. You don’t also need to have ‘a project’ or ‘work’ to participate. Facilitated by Fort Collins Co-Poet Laureate Jake Friedman. The workshop will be followed by an open mic and feature. Presented by Gulo Gulo Poetry Collective and Wolverine Farm.

This event is produced by an outside organization and is unaffiliated with the Downtown Development Authority. The DDA website serves as a marketing outlet for events and promotions occurring inside the Downtown boundary. For questions regarding the event, please contact the event producer.