Workshops are a dime a dozen. Are they worth it?

The obvious answer is yes. In fact, some of the best developments that I’ve made in my poetry came through workshops. But you have to be selective. Not all workshops are what they’re cut out to be.

I recently ran into a gentleman who claimed to have a weekend retreat/workshop for poets. I attended an open reading to get a feel for his style of poetry. He seemed to be an evangelist for his anti-Bush esoteric brand of spiritualism. His poetry wasn’t bad, but it all seemed focus on that one goal – to win converts. It was a turn off.

After speaking to a few people who had attended his workshop in the past, they confirmed that the workshop was much the same way. No way. Not for me.

If you are considering a workshop, take note of the workshop organizers and their background. Will there be guest speakers or poets leading workshop sessions? Find out a little about them too. Get written bios if possible and find copies of their books in print. Find out what their educational backgrounds are and, for goodness sake, ask past attendees if they feel like the workshop was worth their time. You can learn a lot just by asking.