Poetry as Practice kicks off on May 30 in Duluth, MN. Join us!

POETRY AS PRACTICE: A NORTH SHORE POETRY WORKSHOP SERIES IS A set of three day-long writing workshops in duluth and two harbors, mn.

The more we practice what we love—hiking, cooking, reading—the more we learn from it. Join us for a day-long poetry workshop to practice writing poetry together and see what it has to teach us, both as writers and beyond.

In this generative session, we’ll read poetry that lingers in the natural world and the human mind—poetry that reminds us to pay attention, sparks our curiousity, and offers a window into the making of a poem. We’ll read and discuss a wide range of poems and respond with our own writing. In the process, we’ll discuss craft and have plenty of opportunities to share our new words with one another. You can expect to leave with several new drafts and a larger poetry community.

This workshop is designed for seasoned and brand-new writers alike. No experience necessary. The series is made possible by a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. There is no fee to attend.

Poetry as Practice consists of three workshops: May 30 (Duluth), July 10 (Two Harbors), and September 19 (Duluth). Register for one or all three—each workshop will contain fresh material and prompts.

Meet your instructor: Chelsea B. DesAutels is the author of A Dangerous Place (Sarabande Books), which was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and described by Publishers Weekly as a “lush and transformative debut” (starred review). Chelsea has received fellowships from the Anderson Center at Tower View, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Yaddo, and others, and was a previous winner of the Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize from the Missouri Review. Chelsea’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Adroit Journal, Copper Nickel, Narrative, Ploughshares, River Teeth, The Southern Review, and elsewhere, and her poem “City Lake” was featured by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón on The Slowdown podcast. She is the recipient of a 2025 The Loft/MISA Excellence in Teaching Fellowship. Chelsea is the founder of Freshwater Writing and lives in Minneapolis with her family.

Chelsea B. DesAutels is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.