CREATING THROUGH WORKSHOPS
I love creative writing workshops, or any creative workshop really.
No matter if they're up to your expectation or not, they all have something to offer. I have found that workshops are stepping stones to ideas, connections and a sense of creative community that give you the impetus to go back to yourself and create with renewed enthusiasm.
I haven't been to or held a workshop for a long time, but while going back through some poetry books I reconnected with one of my early favourite poets from Richmond, Peter Bakowski. bakowskipoetrynews.blogspot.com
I first discovered his work in the Deakin magazine, Mattoid, and from there ended up buying five of his seven books as he published them, and hosting him, then him and his wife and son, when they were on several of their many 'book tours'.
Peter's first book published was thunder road, thunder heart, by Nosukumo, Melbourne in 1988.
He went on to publish In the human night (1995), the heart at 3a.m. (1998), The Neon Hunger (2000) and Days That We Couldn't Rehearse (2002).
His other two books, which I have not read, are Beneath Our Armour and Personal Weather. In February last year, Editions Doucey of Paris also published a bilingual edition of 'the heart at 3a.m./Le coeur a trois heures du matin.
The poems inspired, gave solace and helped me stay sane in my own human journey at the time.
Billeting Peter and his little family on their 'loaded car' book tours around regional Australia also helped give a connection to the writing and its context in human form.
Talking with Peter about writing was for me like having my own little mini workshops and when he left for the next town, I would be full to the brim with ideas for my work.
So when I decided to check the net for what he was up to now, I was delighted to see that he will be featuring in two workshops and a discussion on poetry at the Bellingen Writers Festival from June 8.
He is part of a discussion titled 'Why Write Poetry When Nobody Ever Reads It?' and is running one-on-one poetry writing sessions, plus a workshop on poetry tips.
If anyone can argue the necessity of poetry for writers and readers, it's Peter.
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