Nature & Poetry in the City: A Generative Writing Workshop

Join writer and teacher naturalist, salvation burnette, for an in-person poetry workshop and nature walk.

Ever noticed a host of house sparrows swarming a pizza crust on the sidewalk? A rat slurping from a discarded Dunkin cup floating on an oily puddle? A plush cloud pierced by a skyscraper? What do these images say about our urban environment? How does seeing these things affect us? How can we city dwellers use what we see to create art, to create awareness and change?

This is an opportunity for you to spend time noticing the visible ways in which humans continue to impact the natural environment and then using those images to create poetry. We’ll first read some examples of poetry that explores nature and/in/against the city. Then, we’ll walk over to the Charles River Esplanade, observing our surroundings together. Participants can then choose a writing prompt and write/wander on their own. Finally, we’ll reconvene to talk about our experiences, and participants are welcome to share anything they wrote.

salvation burnette is a teacher naturalist at Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary. They also teach in the Writing Studies Program at Emerson College. They are the author of laughing plastic (Broken Sleep Books) and Special Ultimate: Baby’s Story: a Documentary (Ghost City Press). Their poetry has been published in Pinwheel, Homology Lit., Sixth Finch, and elsewhere.

This program is presented in partnership with Mass Audubon’s Boston Nature Center & Wildlife Sanctuary.