Ekphrasis: Writing from Art

Ekphrastic writing—writing that describes another work of art—has ancient roots, yet remains a popular form for exploring contemporary issues. This generative workshop explores how writing about visual art can help us craft vivid descriptions and engage in social commentary. Using images from online museum collections, we’ll practice close looking skills and use our observations to create poems and short prose pieces. We’ll also look at examples from writers such as Gwendolyn Brooks, Yusef Komunyakaa, Anne Sexton, and Ocean Vuong, and discuss ways to use art as a starting point for developing characters, setting, and narrative.