Workshop Details

Experience the electrifying and liberating art of spoken word (sometimes called slam or performance poetry) — an art form in which powerful personal healing meets excellent literary craft. During this program, you’ll write about your desires, your struggles, your identity, your politics, about what angers you and what makes you dance with joy. Berklee College of Music Professor Caroline Harvey will help you communicate out loud with passion and fearlessness. We’ll cover the basics of the performing writer’s trade: accessing authentic voice, the myth of “writer’s block,” public speaking jitters, editing strategies, building the best metaphor, “OK, I’m talking — now what should I do with my hands,” and more. Spoken word poems traditionally address edgy, vulnerable topics, and the range of styles can span from hip-hop to prose, and comedy to monologue. No matter your writing experience, this course can help you tell your story and speak your truth with confidence, compassion, and power no matter where you are. There will be an end-of-course celebratory showcase of our original spoken word poems.