Reading Your Own Work Aloud

In today’s literary world, writers often reach a wider audience through readings and live performances than through publication. Yet most writers are not trained to read their work aloud. Even well-known writers may read mechanically, monotonously, with too little—or too much—expression. In this master-class/workshop, participants will discuss what makes a good reading and explore the wide range of successful reading styles. Volunteers will then choose one of their own poems or a passage of prose to read aloud as if they were giving a public presentation, then get feedback from the group under the guidance of the instructor (an experienced actor, director, and radio commentator as well as an award-winning poet and Pulitzer Prize-winning critic). In an unthreatening and helpful atmosphere, the readers “work through” to a livelier, more effective presentation as they deepen their understanding of their own work.