News Release

Joshua Tree National Park Announces Poetry-in-the-Parks with Jodie Hollander

Date: September 8, 2023
Contact: Ian Chadwick

Joshua Tree National Park staff are excited to announce poetry-in-the-park. Join poet Jodie Hollander for a series for a series of free poetry sessions in September 22-24 at various locations throughout the park. Advanced registration will be required for sessions and is limited to 25 participants. To register please email e-mail us.  

Hollander’s work has appeared in a variety of journals, and she published her debut full-length collection, My Dark Horses, in 2017. Her second collection, Nocturne, was published with the Liverpool & Oxford University Press in 2023 and was longlisted for the Laurel Prize in Nature Writing. She is the originator of Poetry in the Parks, a program offered in conjunction with several national park units. 

Session dates and descriptions are as follows:   

Landscape Poetry - September 22 at Cap Rock 4 pm–6:30 pm   

Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty around us, this workshop offers participants an opportunity to take in nature and turn their observations into powerful and vivid poems. In this course, we will study examples of celebrated poems that effectively capture the wonder and beauty of nature. We will also discuss techniques such as metaphor, imagery, repetition, and sound as well as cover effective use of line breaks.  

Poetry of Grief & Healing - September 23 at Black Rock Nature Center 12 pm–2:30pm  

For centuries, creating art, and writing poetry, has served as a form of healing for hurt, pain and grief. In this workshop, we discuss examples of celebrated poems that tackle these difficult topics and study effective techniques for channeling our pain into poetry. Then, through a series of writing prompts, we will delve into our own experiences and turn them into powerful, effective poems. This workshop is for anyone who is interested in the incredible transformative power of poetry to heal wounds.  

Narrative Poetry - September 24 at Cap Rock 9 am–11:30 am   

Humans have long been attracted to the art of storytelling. One could say that our lives are composed of a series of different stories that we tell ourselves and/or one another. In this workshop, we look at this narrative art and how to effectively channel our experiences into powerful poetry. We will study and discuss examples of celebrated poems and discuss techniques for sound and crafting good poetry. Then, through a series of writing prompts, we will examine our own narratives and turn them into poems. This course will consider tempo, pacing, and effective use of line breaks. This workshop is for anyone interested in poetry and storytelling.