{"product_id":"collage-to-poem-poetry-writing-workshop-online","title":"Collage to Poem: A Generative 5-Week Poetry Workshop from Visual Assemblage with Nadia Bongo (Zoom) Starts Sunday, November 8th, 2026","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBegins Sunday, November 8, 2026\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eClass will meet weekly via Zoom on Sundays, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e(Five sessions: Nov 8, 15, 22, Dec 6, and 13. No class Sunday, Nov 29.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e🌍 \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClass Times by Time Zone:\u003c\/strong\u003e Los Angeles (PST): 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM \/ Chicago (CST): 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM \/ New York (EST): 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM \/ London (GMT): 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM \/ Berlin (CET): 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eNow Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstructor Nadia Bongo \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eis a teaching artist and translator. She holds a PhD in French Language and Literature from Aix-Marseille Université. She has earned a Brooklyn Poets Fellowship. Her writing and\/or photographs have appeared in \u003cem\u003eApex, African Voices, Litro online, Solstice, The Citron Review, Taos Journal of Poetry, Blue Mesa Review\u003c\/em\u003e, and elsewhere. Nadia's first co-directed short poetry film, \u003cem\u003eWandering In Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e, has been selected by festivals such as Fotogenia Film Festival (Mexico) and West Sound Film Festival (US). Her second co-created short was on view at a gallery in Philadelphia in the Fall of 2025. She has received grants from University Open Air (Brooklyn Public Library) and Boston Writers of Color. In September 2025, she was a Teaching Artist in Residence for Washington Square Park Conservancy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis online poetry workshop is for poets of all levels who are looking for fresh inspiration to write. While it is designed primarily for poets, any writer can benefit — the visual, image-driven prompts add new imagery and emotional motifs to work in any genre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eCollage and poetry are far more closely related than they first appear — critics have called the work of artists like Joseph Cornell and Betye Saar \"visual poems.\" In this generative poetry workshop, the conjunction of images in collage becomes a springboard for writing more freely and more surprisingly, helping you move past self-censorship and tap into emotions you may not have known you were carrying.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eEach week begins with a guided look at collages from artists such as Lorna Simpson, David Hockney, Hannah Höch, Joseph Cornell, and Jacob Lawrence. After discussing the work, we'll read short poems from writers including Lucille Clifton, Pierre Reverdy, Robin Coste Lewis, and John Ashbery, noting the interesting moves each poem makes. You'll then respond to prompts in a focused writing session and share your work for feedback — both during class and afterward. Writers who already make collages are welcome to use their own pieces as a starting point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis is a hands-on creative writing workshop built around drafting, experimentation, and revision. Over five weeks you'll generate a body of new poems, develop a repeatable method for finding inspiration in visual art, and bring one poem to a polished, performance-ready draft for the final class.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIn this course, students will produce at least four poem drafts — one per generative session — and revise at least one into a polished, finished poem to read aloud during the final class. Students receive feedback on each draft from both the instructor and their peers during class, with additional instructor feedback afterward. Writers who submit revised drafts after receiving notes can leave the workshop with several polished poems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eReadings may include excerpts from John Ashbery, They Knew What They Wanted: Collages and Poems (Rizzoli Electa, 2019); Robin Coste Lewis, To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness (Knopf, 2022); Lucille Clifton, The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton, 1965–2010 (BOA, 2012); Pierre Reverdy, edited by Mary Ann Caws (NYRB, 2013); and Lorna Simpson, Collages (Chronicle Books, 2018). Individual poems studied in class include work by John Ashbery, Tracy K. Smith, Federico García Lorca, Charles Baudelaire (\"Correspondences\"), Lucille Clifton, Pierre Reverdy, René Magritte, Natasha Trethewey, Victoria Chang, Ilya Kaminsky, and 2Pac.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1: Collage \u0026amp; Poetry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — An introduction to collage, then work that openly blurs the line between poetry and assemblage, including Joseph Cornell's \"visual poems\" and John Ashbery's collage poems. Readings include Ashbery, Tracy K. Smith, and García Lorca. (Students read Baudelaire's \"Correspondences\" before the first class.)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2: Collage \u0026amp; Dreams\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — Dreamlike, surrealist, and mystical collages by Dora Maar and Betye Saar, paired with Lucille Clifton's dream poems, leading to prompts on dream logic and uncensored, surrealist-style writing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3: Collage \u0026amp; Realism \/ Surrealism\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — David Hockney and Hannah Höch alongside poems by Pierre Reverdy, René Magritte, and Natasha Trethewey, with prompts on simile, metaphor, and image.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4: Collage \u0026amp; Society \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e— Lorna Simpson and Romare Bearden paired with poems by Victoria Chang, Ilya Kaminsky, and 2Pac, exploring how image and language speak to the wider world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 5: Final Revision \u0026amp; Reading\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e — A dedicated writing and revision session followed by a class reading, where each poet shares a revised poem and receives feedback.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eAt least four new poem drafts and one polished, finished poem\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA repeatable, generative method for sparking poems from visual art and collage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eExperience giving and receiving feedback in a supportive workshop setting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eNew strategies for moving past self-censorship to write more freely and surprisingly\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA richer toolkit of imagery and emotional motifs to carry into future work across genres\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTESTIMONIALS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\"I loved my classes with Nadia. Nadia is an incredibly kind and interested professor, and her care for her subject and students is evident in all she does. Her interdisciplinary approach to teaching provides a rich foundation for conversation and a range of access points for a variety of learners. Not only did I leave Nadia's classes with a deeper understanding of the subjects at hand, but I also left them with a greater understanding of the subjects contextualised. Nadia's classes make learning accessible, engaging, and fun!\" — Sophie Boka, Writer and Master's student at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\"Nadia is a generous reader and is someone whose feedback I've been very grateful for. As a mindful enjoyer but also critic of poetry, she further explores the images, music, and language of any poem — much to the benefit of any poet. She engages with a poem from multiple angles to greater highlight the work that the writer is doing. She develops rapport and connection very quickly, and easily identifies the strengths a writer may have, but also knows how to encourage them to tap into something less familiar. Having been both a fellow student with her in a workshop and also being part of a writing group that she helped facilitate, I think she would be an excellent instructor for any craft aspect of poetry.\" — J.C. Rodriguez, Writer, Educator, and MFA student at Syracuse University\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eTuition is $395 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eInstructor: Nadia Bongo\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBegins Sunday, November 8, 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eClass will meet weekly via Zoom on Sundays, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET (no class Nov 29; concludes Dec 13)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTuition is $395 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49701713182968,"sku":null,"price":619000.0,"currency_code":"KRW","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/NadiaBongoHeadshot2026.png?v=1782762443","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-kr\/products\/collage-to-poem-poetry-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}