Youth Workshop with Phil Kaye

Writing the Unexpected Self

Personal narrative can be a powerful vehicle in poetry. But how do we move beyond the stories we’ve already told? How do we reach for what is unexpected, delightful, surprising, or complicated within us? In this workshop, we’ll explore not only how to uncover new poems, but also how to return to familiar narratives and approach them in new, surprising ways. By paying attention to the subtleties of everyday experience—the overlooked details, the contradictions, the quieter voices we often leave out—we’ll discover how both the new and the familiar can open into unexpected selves.

Through generative prompts, discussion, and readings of contemporary poets, participants will practice expanding their range and cultivating an authentic voice that embraces complexity. This workshop is designed for teens with a foundation in poetry who are excited to deepen their writing, see themselves in new ways, and bring surprising sides of who they are onto the page.

Phil Kaye

Phil Kaye is a Japanese-American poet. His work has been featured in settings ranging from NPR to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and viewed millions of times online. He has performed his original work in eighteen countries and was invited to open for His Holiness The Dalai Lama for the celebration of his 80th birthday. He is the co-director of Project VOICE, an organization that partners with schools to bring poetry to the classroom. A former teacher of weekly poetry workshops in maximum security prisons, Phil was the head coordinator of Space in Prisons for the Arts and Creative Expression (SPACE). Phil is a National Poetry Slam finalist, and the two-time recipient of the National College Poetry Slam (CUPSI) award for “Pushing the Art Forward”, given for outstanding innovation in the art of live poetry. His book, Date &Time, was published in 2018 by Button Poetry.

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Open to teens aged 13-18. Registration is free but space is limited.