“Spiritualizing the Ordinary” with Yehoshua November

“Spiritualizing the Ordinary” with Yehoshua November
Given contemporary poetry’s largely secular leanings, it’s not surprising that few poets today celebrate supernatural miracles, overtly religious experiences, or Divinity, in general. But how does one explain contemporary poetry’s tendency to insist on profound meaning in the ordinary—a tendency that, at times, appears to border on obsession? In this workshop, we will look at a Chassidic text that might speak to this seeming paradox. Then, with this teaching in mind, we will read several contemporary poems and go on to write our own pieces that attempt to spiritualize the ordinary.  We will also branch out into several additional prompts with a variety of craft elements in mind.

Workshop Costs

• One recorded class
• Link to poems discussed in class
• $36—standard registration
• $30—discounted registration for Yetzirah Members (you can become a member here)

*As we want our offerings to be accessible to all, there is a pay-what-you-can option if this pricing is a hardship.

About Yehoshua

Yehoshua November is the author of God’s Optimism (a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize), Two Worlds Exist (a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and the Paterson Poetry Prize), and The Concealment of Endless Light (Orison Books, 2024). His work has been featured in The New York Times Magazine, Harvard Divinity Bulletin, The Sun, VQR, TriQuarterly, and on National Public Radio and Poetry Unbound. November teaches creative writing at Rutgers University and Touro University and serves as mashpia, spiritual mentor, at Chabad of Teaneck