“Turning garbage into gold” is a famous catchphrase used by retired Sixers broadcaster Marc Zumoff, and it is a good motto for this generative writing workshop where attendees will learn to take the detritus of everyday life and turn it into poetry. We’ll consider how snippets of overheard conversations, newspaper headlines, graffiti, garbage, and lists can be used to create a lively snapshot of the present moment. In this class, participants will read sample poems and try their hand at their own “writing experiments.”

Gina Myers' most recent book, Some of the Times, was published by Barrelhouse in October 2020. She is the author of two other full-length poetry collections, A Model Year (2009) and Hold It Down (2013), as well as several chapbooks. In addition to poetry, she has published essays, reviews, and articles for a variety of publications, including Hyperallergic, Frontier Psychiatrist, Fanzine, The Rumpus, and The Poetry Project Newsletter.