As the poet CAConrad once said, " Philadelphia taught me how to love the world.” With a nod to the poets of the New York School poetry movements, who drew inspiration from city life-- people they knew, places they visited, overheard conversations, real time events, etc.-- this session will include a lively discussion of poems that make reference to, draw inspiration from, &/or are located in our city. The session will also include short writing exercises based on the poems that are discussed, including work from Gina Myers, Yolanda Wisher, Ryan Eckes, and more.

Alina Pleskova is a poet, editor, and Russian immigrant turned proud Philadelphian. Her work has been featured in American Poetry Review, Thrush, Entropy, Peach Mag, the Poetry Project, and other places. Her chapbook, What Urge Will Save Us, was published by Spooky Girlfriend Press in 2017. With Jackee Sadicario, she co-edits bedfellows magazine and is a 2020 Leeway Foundation Art & Change awardee. More at alinapleskova.com or @nahhhlina on Twitter.

Wednesdays On the Stoop is a series of free writing programming by Zoom every Wednesday from 4 pm - 5 pm. From accountability co-writing to generative prompts to discussions of exciting forms and authors of all genres, these sessions are designed to be a constant structure--every Wednesday at 4 you can count on Blue Stoop to plug you into your writing energy with an informal and supportive session.