Workshop for the poetry curious — and any writer wanting to add interest to their process.
Date: 7:00 PM, Thursday January 22 (2026)
Location: David Duff’s library (Just N of Shimogamo-jinja: If requested, I can send a pin via Messenger.)
Fee: WiK members, no charge; non-members, JPY 500.
Fee: WiK members, no charge; non-members, JPY 500.
While writing, have you ever felt that moment when words that were humdrum suddenly turn into living language? Poetic writing can open space to reach toward what you didn’t know when you began writing. This workshop seeks to instill that sense of openness and possibility in your writing.
Making poetry can help you learn to listen to “The Invisible.” In this session, you will discover how embracing a nuanced understanding of the volta—the “turn” from one thought to another—can help you uncover what your writing truly wants to say.
What we will do: Explore the dynamic turns of a few select poems. After this, you’ll have a chance to explore the power of the volta by writing a haiku, a couplet, or some free verse.
What to bring: Please bring a pen and notebook or other preferred writing tools. If you are currently working on a poem that feels stuck or at an impasse, bring it along! Time permitting, we can workshop it.
Nathan Mader is the author of the poetry collection The Endless Animal (fineperiodpress, 2024), which was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. His poems have appeared in Plenitude, The Fiddlehead, Kyoto Journal and elsewhere, includingThe Best Canadian Poetry (Biblioasis).
Contact: David Eunice