Begins Sunday, May 17, 2026

Live Seminar via Zoom from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM / Chicago (CDT): 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM / New York (EDT): 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM / London (BST): 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM / Berlin (CEST): 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

This is a Free Event. Register by adding to cart and proceeding to checkout. No payment will be required. 

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Allan Peterson is a celebrated poet and visual artist. He is the author of seven full-length poetry collections, including Amid This (2026), and Fragile Acts (2012), which was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award. As a visual artist, Peterson has exhibited widely, including shows with the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the New Orleans Academy of Art. His honors and awards include fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Fine Arts Council, among others. The former chair of the visual arts department at Pensacola State College, Peterson currently divides his time between Florida and Oregon.

Stephanie Burt is a poet, literary critic, and professor. In 2012, the New York Times called Burt "one of the most influential poetry critics of [her] generation." Burt grew up around Washington, DC, and earned a BA from Harvard and a PhD from Yale. Burt's books include We Are Mermaids (2022), After Callimachus (2020), Advice from the Lights (2017), Belmont (2013), Parallel Play (2006), and Popular Music (1999). Stephanie is a Professor of English at Harvard University. She lives in the Boston suburbs with her spouse, Jessie Bennett, and their two children.

Who is this event for?

Brought to you in partnership with SMU English's Project Poëtica, this free online poetry seminar is for anyone who loves poetry, visual art, or both. Whether you're a practicing poet, a visual artist curious about the intersection of word and image, or simply someone who finds wonder in daily life, this conversation welcomes you. All levels and backgrounds are encouraged to attend.

What to expect:

Celebrated poet and visual artist Allan Peterson will read from and discuss his seventh full-length poetry collection, Amid This (Bridwell Press, 2026), which vividly describes the astonishments of being alive, offering celebratory insights of a natural philosopher with a parallel life as a visual artist. Allan will be joined by award-winning Harvard literary critic Stephanie Burt as they discuss how poetry and art find spaces for one another in our daily lives.

This free online poetry seminar will weave together readings, conversation, and audience participation. Stephanie Burt will guide the discussion, drawing out the connections between Peterson's poetic and visual art practices, while Allan shares poems from his newest collection. The event will close with an audience Q&A, opening into a broader conversation about how we can all find art and poetry each day.

EVENT OUTLINE

(5 min) Stephanie Burt will introduce herself and Allan Peterson

(7 min) Allan Peterson will discuss his new collection, Amid This, and read two poems

(5 min) Stephanie Burt will begin the creative discussion with Allan 

(5 min) Allan Peterson will read two additional poems from Amid This

(10 min) Stephanie Burt and Allan will move deeper into their creative conversation

(5 min) Allan will read a final poem from the collection 

(13 min) The discussion will open to an audience Q&A, where participants can ask questions to Allan, Stephanie, or both.

EVENT TAKEAWAYS:

• Hear new poems from Allan Peterson's seventh collection, Amid This (Bridwell Press, 2026)
• Gain insight into the creative relationship between poetry and visual art
• Learn how two accomplished writers think about finding art and poetry in everyday life
• Participate in a live Q&A with a National Book Critics Circle Award nominee and one of the nation's most influential poetry critics

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

This is a FREE seminar. No payment is required. Simply register to reserve your spot.

Register by adding to cart and proceeding to checkout. No payment will be required. 

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructors: Allan Peterson and Stephanie Burt
• Sunday, May 17, 2026
• Live Seminar via Zoom from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET
• This is a free event.
• Register by adding to cart and proceeding to checkout. No payment will be required.