Dusty Artifact or Window Into the Past: Writing Poems About Sonoma County History

When it comes to history, what grabs your interest? A story you haven’t heard before? A story that’s different from the one you’ve been told? Does an object on display offer a window through which you can enter into the past?

Join us for a special workshop where we will write poems about Sonoma County History from new perspectives. We will be joined at this event by special guest Arthur Dawson, Sonoma County historian and poet, who will offer examples of poems about history from his own work, as well as advice on how to find that “hook” or entry point to the piece being written.

The evening will begin with a guided tour of the museum’s exhibition Sonoma County Stories. During the tour, participants will take note of one or two stories, or objects, that interest them. Following the guided tour, participants will disperse and take notes about and/or photos of the stories or objects that interest them. We will then retreat as a group to a writing space to begin working on our poems. In the final half hour of the event, each participant will have two to three minutes to share with the group what they wrote about.

All levels of ability are welcome. The workshop is free of charge and spaces are limited, please reserve a free ticket now to ensure a place in the program. Please notify us if you need special accommodation (handicapped access to the museum, et cetera).