Poetry, Memory, Form

Class Description: In this course, we will uncover the poems that exist in the world around us, waiting to be written. Drawing on memories, music, the self, the works of contemporary poets, and the works of one another, students will generate a body of poems that they will have the opportunity to sharpen through class discussion and critique. Rather than following inherited forms, students will be encouraged to build their own poetic structures—experimenting with language to shape each poem’s unique architecture.

If you’ve ever wondered what to write about or felt boxed in by rhyme and meter, this class offers tools to reconnect with poetry as a living, evolving art form.

Days: Tuesdays, Oct 21- Nov 11, 2025

Time: 6pm-9pm

Location: DeBruce Hall. Room 123. CAMPUS MAP

Instructor: Preferring satire to sentimentality, Bernadette Negrete dismisses the idea that poetry and art need to make grand statements, instead inhabiting a space between cowboy nonchalance and the tenderness of love and community. Negrete uses poetry and art as a way to navigate sexuality, family, feeling, and her experiences as a Mexican-American woman. She graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2022 and now works as the Educator for Public Programs and Creative Practice at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Negrete has been published in magazines and journals across North America.

Supplies: Pencil, paper. The instructor will provide reading materials.

Parking: Parking is available in any of the (NON-RESERVED) KCAI parking lot spaces across campus. RESERVED spaces are available after 5pm on the weekdays and all day on the weekends. There is also available street parking surrounding KCAI campus. 

Refund: Registered participants can receive refunds to the original payment method (Studio Fee minus Humanitix Fee) up to 14 days before the first class.