Excellent thoughts on “truth” in poetry. I attended this conference too. Very worthwhile for a hands-on poetry experience.
Being on writing retreat for three days at the Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway last weekend left me recharged, rejuvenated, and refocused on what words and poems and community can mean, left me ready to be present in the “spoiled and radiant now,” a line from a new poem by Stephen Dunn, one of the special guests who read on Sunday evening. I wrote several viable, interesting drafts and spent time with like-minded people serious about writing. I got to see some beloved friends who live on the East Coast. These are good things. But there are also some questions floating around in my head, especially about workshopping poems.
The Getaway is a unique community and a welcoming one where anything can happen. For example, this weekend, I was honored to stand for someone saying the Kaddish, a moving moment. One year, I had a rousing afternoon of competitive…
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Sarah Russell Poetry 
nice share, sarah. the conference sounds wonderful –
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It was a very rewarding weekend!
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That’s interesting…I never think about “facts” when I write. But then, I don’t usually write about myself. (K)
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I think this goes for every kind of writing. Mine is all based on an event, or a feeling. Then, it’s necessary for the poem to enter its own world and live there. My mantra is “Poets take an incident and then they fib.” At this conference, the organizer always admonishes, “Tell one truth, one lie, and never tell anyone which is which.”
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Good advice!
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