A good image will ensure that your work is enjoyable. A great image will ensure that your work is unforgettable. But what does it take to create a great image for your piece of writing? And what is “imagery,” anyway? Perhaps most closely associated with poetry—at least in the world of writing!—one potential definition of imagery could be “figurative language that evokes sense-memory or sense impressions.” It’s not always drawn just from visual inputs, though; sometimes the freshest and most surprising images in a piece take their inspiration from sound or smell, bypassing the reader’s logical mind to connect directly with memory and imagination so that the reader feels the story or poem as much as they read it. Or, to put it another way, you’ve probably heard the old saw “Show, don’t tell!” given as writing advice since the first time you picked up a pencil. Writing fresh, inventive images into your work is a form of telling-through-showing, making use of the potency of images to sidestep pages of expository dialogue or long narratives to build up backstory for a character. As poets and writers, the success of our work often depends on imagery, and with the ways we can layer meaning in images, combining the sensory response with social associations to develop the complexity our writing needs—and our readers deserve. In this workshop, we’ll start with the basics, using notable excerpts from poems, stories, and essays to identify different types of imagery, and talk about the possibilities inherent in each. After that, we'll try our hands at some writing prompts to kickstart drafting own images. We'll end with a breakdown of ways you can make imagery a consistent part of your writing practice. Prior to the class students will be emailed a small packet of examples to inform discussion.

$60 for a 2-hour Zoom workshop with Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop.

Any project can be daunting at the start. Some projects are still daunting in the middle, especially when they have a lot of moving parts — or shifting scenes! So how do you make sure that your writing stays on track towards your goal? Figuring out a project management plan helps to set you up for success and can make even the biggest projects seem less unwieldy and intimidating. This workshop will walk you through the process of setting “SMART” goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), “chunking out” your project into manageable pieces, setting a realistic timeline, and sustaining all of this work with the development of good habits. We’ll also look at some project management tools, both analog and digital, that you may choose to use in support of your project. Workshop attendees should be prepared to talk about a project they’re finding difficult to begin or one already in process that that they feel could use a bit of organizing.

$60 for a 2-hour Zoom workshop with Pioneer Valley Writers Workshop.

Any project can be daunting at the start. Some projects are still daunting in the middle, especially when they have a lot of moving parts — or shifting scenes! So how do you make sure that your writing stays on track towards your goal? Figuring out a project management plan can set you up for success and can make even the biggest projects seem less unwieldy and intimidating. This workshop will walk you through the process of setting “SMART” goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound), “chunking out” your project into manageable pieces, setting a realistic timeline, and sustaining all of this work with the development of good habits. We’ll also look at some fantastic project management tools, both analog and digital, that you may choose to use in support of your project. Workshop attendees should be prepared to talk about a project they’re finding difficult to begin or one already in process that they need help organizing and managing. 

This hybrid workshop will be held in person at the Writers In Progress studio in Florence, MA, as well as online using Zoom.

Cost: $75
Register at https://writersinprogress.com/project-management-for-poets-and-writers-michael-mercurio/

On the first Sunday of each month, Writers In Progress holds community writing workshops on Zoom that are designed to be a jumpstart for your creative process. They’re open to all, with a $10 donation suggested to compensate the workshop leader for their time and effort. I’ll be that workshop leader for the month of March, and I hope you’ll come write with me. I truly enjoy leading these sessions and am always dazzled by the creative outpouring from the participants. Get over to https://writersinprogress.com/writing-workshops-for-everyone/ and scroll to the bottom to sign up!

The word “canon” in literary studies was intended to refer to humanity’s greatest writings—those which all "educated" people should know. Thanks to the work of critics and scholars of color, however, we are now able to recognize the exclusions, the silences, and the gaps that exist in the traditional concept of the canon. The four poets/professors on this panel will read poems and discuss how to explore, expand, and explode the literary canon in one's work and in the classroom.

Panelists: Kenzie Allen, Rita Banerjee, Nathan McClain, Enzo Silon Surin
Moderator: Michael Mercurio

Room 2503AB, Kansas City Convention Center, Level 2

I’ll be reading on Zoom as part of The Inflectionist Review’s online reading series, along with Toti O’Brien and Patrick Meads. Please join us! You can do so by registering here to receive your Zoom link.

Come to Anchor House of Artists for a reading and performance by Rebecca Faulkner, Eliot Cardinaux, and me.

We all know that poems are "the best words in the best order," but how do you find the best words? This workshop will provide you with tools for finding them through etymology and sound.

All skill and experience levels are welcome, and there will be plenty of time to experiment during the session, so bring your preferred writing implements!

More info here!

Join us (via Zoom) as we celebrate Jon D Lee's In/Desiderato (Jacar Press, 2021)

Michael Mercurio’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Sierra (the magazine of the Sierra Club), The Inflectionist Review, Lily Poetry Review, THRUSH, Palette Poetry, Bear Review, Cider Press Review, Sugar House Review, Rust + Moth, and elsewhere. His poem “Mercy in a Cold April” was included in the anthology Voices Amidst the Virus and was adapted into a short film by filmmaker Michael Rautio.

Michael lives and writes in Western Massachusetts, where he teaches occasional workshops for Writers in Progress and serves on the steering committee for the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival, held each September at Emily Dickinson’s house. In addition, Michael is Director of Community Engagement for the Faraday Publishing Company, a non-profit press dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented writers. A graduate of the Lesley University low-residency MFA in creative writing, Michael is also executive director of Cambridge Common Writers, an association for alumni, faculty, and friends of the Lesley MFA program. Michael also curates What The Universe Is: A Reading Series, with a Zoom reading held each month. Find out more about him at poetmercurio.com.

Jon D. Lee is the author of four books, including IN/DESIDERATO and An Epidemic of Rumors: How Stories Shape Our Perceptions of Disease. His poems and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in The Atlantic, Sugar House Review, Sierra Nevada Review, The Writer's Chronicle, One, Lily Poetry Review, The Laurel Review, and The Inflectionist Review. He has an MFA in Poetry from Lesley University and a Ph.D. in Folklore. Lee teaches at Suffolk University, where he also serves as a senior poetry reader for Salamander.

Click here to register for this FREE online event!

One of the hardest parts of the revision process is knowing when a piece is done. How can you tell when it’s ready to send to an editor? In this workshop we will practice reading our own work with an editor’s eye for improvement, and we’ll practice some easy nuts-and-bolts ways to kickstart your revisions. You can expect to gain confidence as a critical reader of your own writing, and discover the playful, joyful side of revision. (No, really!)

We’ll get deep into the work that our verbs are doing, figure out how much is too much when it comes to details, and maybe learn how to surprise ourselves. Plus we’ll talk about that classic piece of writing advice — “Kill your darlings!” — and decide whether it’s time to kill that, too.

Bring a brief piece of your own writing (500 words or so) that you’d like to improve, and we’ll run some experiments on it.

Saturday, June 19, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ($75) Click here for the registration link!

This online reading will feature Writers in Progress faculty members Dori Ostermiller, Emily Lackey, Sarah Earle, and Michael Mercurio. Email emily@writersinprogress.com for the link to join!

Have you ever wanted your writing to be described as “poetic” even if you’re not a poet? In this online workshop I’ll provide insights on how to use the innate qualities of the English language to your advantage, regardless of what you write. We’ll start with a little history, and then explore the ways sound and etymology can shape (and strengthen) our word choice through some writing exercises and discussion. Cost: $75

Visit this link for more information or to register:
https://writersinprogress.com/writing-by-ear-with-michael-mercurio/

This is the inaugural reading of the What The Universe Is reading series, a monthly reading hosted on Zoom by Michael Mercurio.

About the readers:

Allison Adair’s first collection, The Clearing, was selected by Henri Cole as winner of Milkweed’s Max Ritvo Poetry Prize. Her poems appear in American Poetry Review, Arts & Letters, Best American Poetry, Kenyon Review Online, and ZYZZYVA; and her work has been honored with the Pushcart Prize, the Florida Review Editors’ Award, the Orlando Prize, a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant, and first place in the Fineline Competition from Mid-American Review. Originally from central Pennsylvania, Allison teaches at Boston College and Grub Street.

Enzo Silon Surin, Haitian-born poet, educator, speaker, publisher and social advocate, is the author of When My Body Was A Clinched Fist (Black Lawrence Press, July 2020) and two chapbooks, A Letter of Resignation: An American Libretto (2017) and Higher Ground. He is a PEN New England Celebrated New Voice in Poetry, the recipient of a Brother Thomas Fellowship from The Boston Foundation and a 2020 Denis Diderot [A-i-R] Grant as an Artist-in-Residence at Chateau d’Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France. Surin’s work gives voice to experiences that take place in what he calls “broken spaces” and his poems have been featured in numerous publications and exhibits. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, teaches creative writing and literature at Bunker Hill Community College and is Founding Editor and Publisher at Central Square Press and Faraday Publishing Company.

Lauren Camp is the author of five books, most recently Took House (Tupelo Press, 2020), which Publishers Weekly calls a “stirring, original collection.” Her poems and interviews have appeared in Witness, Poet Lore, The Rumpus, Kenyon Review, The Los Angeles Review and other journals in the US and abroad. Honors include the Dorset Prize and finalist citations for the Arab American Book Award, the Housatonic Book Award and the New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Her work has been translated into Mandarin, Turkish, Spanish, and Arabic.

Michael Mercurio lives and writes in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. His poems have appeared in Palette Poetry, Sugar House Review, Cider Press Review, Rust + Moth, and elsewhere, and his poetry criticism has been published by the Lily Poetry Review and Coal Hill Review. Michael serves as executive director of Cambridge Common Writers, an alumni association for graduates of the Lesley University MFA program, and he is also a member of the steering committee for the Tell It Slant Poetry Festival of the Emily Dickinson Museum.

Although this event is free, preregistration is required, and space is limited. I hope to see you there!

Every writer—no matter how accomplished they may be—feels the pressure of finding the right words to invigorate their manuscripts, to tell stories that resonate with readers and that linger for a long time. In this half-day workshop, writers will explore how the origins of words we use and the sounds of them can enhance their writing across any and all genres. Incorporating these poetic sensibilities into your work can help to create meaning you didn’t know was there and to get your work to stand out when it crosses an editor’s desk. This workshop will include a brief history lesson on the peculiarities of the English language, an opportunity to discuss some tried-and-true strategies for using words as springboards for inspiration, and plenty of time to write. 

Cost: $75

Register here!

During the pandemic, the Emily Dickinson Museum is celebrating monthly Amherst Arts Night Plus with remote poetry readings every first Thursday. On July 2nd I’ll be reading with fellow Pioneer Valley poets Hannah Larrabee and Nathan McClain.

This program is free to attend. Registration is required to receive the zoom link.

You can register here for the reading.

Join readers featured in the Naugatuck River Review and members of the Florence Poets Society and others for a marathon reading to close out a great weekend of words and verse at the Shea Theatre in Turners Falls, MA.

I've been asked to join a panel curated by my friend Eileen Cleary at this year's NH Poetry Festival, where I'll be discussing the legacy of witness embodied by Father Edward P. Doyle, O.P., who liberated the concentration camp at Nordhausen with the 109th Infantry Division (the Timberwolves) and documented what he saw there so that the world would know.

I'm excited to be participating in an afternoon of readings by local Cambridge-area poets at Cambridge Riverfest.

We'll be in the poetry tent, located on the water side of Cambridge Parkway (across the street from the Esplanade Apartments located at 75-83 Cambridge Parkway.)

Here's the lineup:

12:00-1:00 PM: Sidewalk Poetry Contest Winners

1:00-2:00 PM: 2017 Brave New Voices Team, Louder Than A Bomb

2:00 PM: Hannah Baker-Siroty

2:20 PM: Rage Hezekiah

2:40 PM: Heather Hughes

3:00 PM: Michael Mercurio

3:20 PM: Rob Arnold

3:40 PM: Bob Carr

4:00 PM: Julie Story

4:20 PM: Judson Evans

4:40 PM: Brandon Melendez

5:00-6:00 PM: 2017 Brave New Voices Team, Louder Than A Bomb

Come by for some great poetry and check out the other amazing offerings of Riverfest (like the food.)