I will be recommending these classes…

I took an 8-week (Saturdays only) workshop as a means of dusting off a long dormant passion for verse. The class, led by poet Larry Sawyer, far exceeded my expectations. The intimate, casual setting, and Larry’s sincere efforts at personal, yet objective critique was just what I needed. [ ... ]

I know I will be recommending these classes to anyone who’ll listen! - Jean S.

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Registration Open!

Have you been looking for a supportive and collaborative environment where you can refine your poetry? The Chicago School of Poetics offers that and more: video conferencing, as well as face-to-face workshops, that allow you to get inside the actual writing process of the core faculty. Now is the time to register for our May-July session. Just visit your workshop’s page and click the Register! button.

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Drop in any time!

The Chicago School of Poetics offers weekly online poetry workshops that can be attended from your own home, from anywhere in the country. See, hear, and interact with your instructor and other students through our classroom’s live video feed. All you need is a computer, webcam, and high speed internet connection. Individual Weekly Salon workshops start at $50.

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Want to know more?

Read an interview with the Chicago School of Poetics founder, Francesco Levato, on Chicago Artists Resource. "...With the average cost of a two-year MFA ranging from $28,000 to $74,000, I didn't see many options for someone who couldn't take on that financial burden, yet needed more than introductory classes offered. I wanted to provide an 'alternative' that embodied the rigorous nature of MFA studies at a  more flexible and affordable price."

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A Community Beyond

The Chicago School of Poetics is for those who have already read every anthology and still feel the need for more specialized instruction. At low cost, the school offers innovative, structured, relevant, and exciting coursework; a genuine community even for poets who live many miles from Chicago; weekly salons involving face-to-face critique; and a receptive, friendly environment that delivers useful feedback that is based solely on the merits of the work. The Chicago School of Poetics takes students beyond what they might have thought possible in a positive and community-building environment.

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An alternative to, and a community beyond, the Creative Writing MFA.

Online Workshops

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Work face-to-face with your instructor and fellow students, from anywhere in the world, through our online classrooms. Our web conferencing system allows you to attend class from home through your web browser using video and phone conferencing, desktop sharing, and a collaborative whiteboard for written note taking. » Read More

On Location Workshops

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Blending lecture, critical reading, writing exercises, and group discussion, our classes are designed to challenge students while helping them explore and develop their craft—all in a supportive and collaborative environment. » Read More

Weekly Salon

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The Weekly Salon is an informal gathering designed to allow students to critically examine their works in progress. Through instructor-led close readings and in-depth discussion of their work students are given the feedback, support, and space they need to refine that work towards publication. The Salon meets both online and on location. » Read More