This summer, KSPS invites members to dive into the art and process of poetry like never before. Our Kentucky Voices series is expanding to feature a special three-part virtual craft talk series, each led by a celebrated Kentucky poet and focused on a unique approach to poetic craft. These aren’t your standard readings. These are immersive, reflective, and experimental spaces designed to ignite curiosity and deepen your relationship with the written word.
Our first session kicks off July 15 with “One of These Things Is/Isn’t True: Negation in Poetry” led by award-winning poet and educator Trish Jaggers. This session asks a provocative question: What happens when meaning comes not from what is said—but what isn’t?
“There is no glass in the bathwater.”
With that image, Trish opens a gateway into the poetic potential of absence. In this talk, participants will explore how negation, opposition, and even lies can elevate language beyond its literal frame. Together, we’ll read poems that “tell all the truth but tell it slant,” and examine how emptiness, silence, and contradiction give poems their emotional weight.
This won’t be a traditional workshop. As Trish describes it, it’s “an opening through which we will slip on our way across the water, tiptoeing around the shards that are not there.” You won’t leave with rules—you’ll leave with questions, experiments, and a new lens for your own writing.
📅 July 15, 2025 | 7 PM EST
📍 Virtual | KSPS Members Only
🪑 Space is limited to 55 participants – Register now
Upcoming Craft Talks
String Theory: An Exploration of Poetry that Employs Multiple Threads
Hosted by Clay Matthews | September 16, 2025 – 7 PM EST
What holds a poem together beneath the surface? In this session, we’ll unpack the hidden structures that tether together different voices, moments, and meanings. Through guided prompts, discussion, and practice, you’ll experiment with weaving your own threads—poetic and otherwise—into new creative work.
Craft Your Words: A Multi-Modal Approach to Poetry Writing
Hosted by Lucy Oquaye | November 18, 2025 – 7 PM EST
Poetry can be paper and glue, image and text, absence and form. This hands-on session explores how collage, blackout poems, and zine-making can unlock new poetic possibilities. With tactile tools and a multi-sensory approach, we’ll create poetry that embraces fragmentation and opens new doors of expression
How to Participate
These craft talks are free and exclusive for KSPS members. Each session is limited to 55 participants to ensure an intimate and engaging experience. If you’re not yet a member of the Kentucky State Poetry Society, now’s the perfect time to join. You’ll get access to this series and a full year of member benefits, including publication opportunities, contests, and more.
Kentucky State Poetry Society 