Writing Odes

With Louisiana Poet Laureate Gina Ferrara

Odes are poems of celebration and close attention, often written to praise something or someone, including everyday objects. In this workshop, we'll examine famous odes and write ones of our own.

Urns, socks, clouds, and jellyfish have all been the subject of odes. They are limitless but necessary vessels, intentional poems that bear truth and light. At this poetry writing workshop, examine famous odes and write ones of your own.  

Gina Ferrara is an Associate Professor of English at Delgado Community College. She lives in New Orleans and has five poetry collections. Her latest, Amiss, was published by Dos Madres Press in 2023. Her work has appeared in many journals including Callaloo, The Poetry Ireland Review, Tar River, The Southern Review and was nominated for a Best of the Net and a Pushcart in 2024. Since 2007, she has curated The Poetry Buffet, a monthly reading series in New Orleans.

Funding for this Louisiana Poet Laureate program has been provided by the State of Louisiana and administered by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

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