Begins Thursday, August 6, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM ET

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Instructor Bio

Instructor Lauren Brazeal Garza is the author of four books of poetry and fiction, including her memoir-in-verse, Gutter, which chronicles her homelessness as a teenager. She earned her M.F.A in creative writing from Bennington College and her Ph.D. in Literature from The University of Texas at Dallas, with a specialty in testimonial literature and narratives from marginalized voices. Lauren teaches literature and creative writing at UT Dallas and serves as the project manager for SMU English's Project Poëtica at Southern Methodist University.

Who is this class for?

This online poetry workshop is for poets at all levels who are looking to explore new styles and discover their authentic voice. Whether you're just beginning to write poems or have been crafting them for years, you'll leave with fresh techniques to help your poems shine — and a clearer sense of your unique authorial voice as a poet.

What to expect:

Part of every poet's journey is discovering and cultivating their own unique voice and style — but while many writing workshops help us learn new skills, few help us find our own authentic voice. This four-week generative poetry workshop is designed to change that.

Together, we will explore and experiment with a wide range of approaches to writing poems, discussing how form, metaphor, symbols, and other experiments on the page can lead to surprising and delightful results within our work. We'll also study the unique and remarkable styles of poets such as Jose Hernandez Diaz, Danez Smith, and Naomi Shihab Nye. Each session will feature a discussion of style within one famous poem, followed by an exploration of different approaches to crafting our own poems through generative prompts that encourage experimentation and growth.

Each meeting will also offer the opportunity for students to workshop one of their poems with the group for the purpose of receiving constructive, supportive feedback. All students will also receive written feedback from Lauren on a draft of their choice each week. Through our discussions and explorations, you'll discover interesting ways to add dimension and emotion to your poems through a variety of styles — moving closer to discovering and cultivating your own poetic voice. At the close of the course, we will discuss paths to publication, and each student will choose one poem they are most proud of to share with the class during our final Zoom session as part of a celebratory reading.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will produce four polished poems based on weekly generative prompts. Each student will submit one poem per week (up to 50 lines) and receive written feedback from the instructor within 48 hours of posting. Students will also receive written peer feedback once per week and have the opportunity to workshop one poem live during class in a supportive workshop format.

Readings

All reading will be provided at no charge. Readings may include excerpts from Bad Mexican, Bad American by Jose Hernandez Diaz; Words Under the Words: Selected Poems by Naomi Shihab Nye; and Black Movie by Danez Smith.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1 — Introduction: The Magical and Surreal — A reading and discussion of the poems of Jose Hernandez Diaz; generative prompt and discussion.

Week 2 — Writing Our Joy — Approaching joy in poetry through a reading and discussion of the poems of Naomi Shihab Nye; workshop of Week 1's drafts; generative prompt and discussion.

Week 3 — Metaphor and Anti-Metaphor — Engaging with symbolism and metaphor in poetry through a reading and discussion of the poetry of Danez Smith; workshop of Week 2's drafts; generative prompt and discussion.

Week 4 — Course Finale — Discussion of publication and the path to print; final reading; goal-writing prompt and final conversations.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Four polished poems generated from weekly prompts and ready for revision or submission
• A deeper sense of your own authorial voice and personal poetic style
• New craft techniques for working with form, metaphor, symbol, and surreal imagery
• Exposure to the distinctive styles of Jose Hernandez Diaz, Danez Smith, and Naomi Shihab Nye
• Written instructor feedback on a draft of your choice each week, plus weekly peer feedback
• A clear understanding of publication paths for your poetry

TESTIMONIALS:

"This class, and Lauren's inspiring presence, has changed everything for me. I have a renewed confidence in my ability, voice, and story. And I loved encouraging my fellow classmates to achieve their best too. Tears are flowing down my cheeks as I write this, because Lauren's class opened up for me the doors I had bolted shut on myself." — DeAnne H.

"I enjoyed everything about this class! Lauren did a wonderful job engaging us and giving us the space to grow and improve as writers. I'll definitely take more courses from her in the future." — Troy N.

"Lauren gave me room to grow and showcase what I can achieve as both a creative writer and reader. I'm so grateful for her class and her insights, which have genuinely made me a better writer." — Alex S.

"I love love loved this course! It was super fun and I had a great time. I especially appreciated how much freedom we were given for the writing prompts, and the structure of the workshop and peer comments were so effective and helpful." — David R.

"Lauren is phenomenal! She is extremely passionate, kind, and smart. She has the student's best interests at heart and makes great points on improving our writing. One of the best writing instructors I've had. I hope more writers take her classes in the future." — Megan K.

"This was one of the most charming and well-put-together courses I've had the pleasure of taking. Discussions were open and full of ideas, coupled with informative lectures. If you participated in class, the rewards were clear and obvious. Dr. Brazeal Garza was an excellent teacher for this subject and genuinely had me interested in new topics." — Tiffany W.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $330 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Lauren Brazeal Garza
• Begins Thursday, August 6, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays, 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $330 USD.