Creative Writing Workshop with Melisa (Misha) Cahnmann-Taylor

Litany or “anaphora” is a useful poetic tool in many oral and literate world cultures, a path to get into an incantatory, liminal state. Often used in political speeches and occasionally in prose and poetry, anaphora is the repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines to create a sonic effect. In this workshop we will feel the power of repetition in Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” and begin anaphora’s enchantment ourselves, flying on the roller coaster of surprise and sharing from the most powerful of lines. This free workshop will be led by Dr. Melisa Cahnmann-Taylor, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar Ambassador and professor of language and literacy education at the University of Georgia. Email callan@uga.edu to reserve a spot.

Cahnmann-Taylor has authored five books addressing intersections between language education and the literary, visual and performing arts including one book of poems, “Imperfect Tense,” and her newest book, “Enlivening Instruction with Drama and Improv.” Supported by grants and prizes from the National Endowment for the Arts, Fulbright and the Beckman Award for Professors Who Inspire, her work narrates the heartache, headache and joy of teaching and learning language. She lives in Athens, Georgia, with her husband, two children and their rescue dog, Bagel.