For the past twenty-five years I've been trying to articulate my awareness of what it means to be alive. There is always more to be said, because life is endlessly surprising. It's this surprise I want to court in my work, and I want to help other poets access the part of themselves that transcends the mundane, the ordinary, while recognizing that it is precisely within these things that the mysteries lie. I believe that a rigorous attention to craft is the best way to achieve your vision in language - but that wildness is essential, as well. It's these two poles we will explore and examine as we share drafts and pinpoint the areas where the writer can go further.

I'm the author of five poetry collections, two novels, a book of short stories, and two books on writing poetry: The Poet's Companion (with Dorianne Laux) and Ordinary Genius: A Guide for the Poet Within. I have preferred to stay an independent artist rather than become an academic, so I teach in my community in Oakland, and online, as well as at writers' conferences all over the country (and I'm returning to Lisbon for the second Disquiet program). Drop by my website at www.kimaddonizio.com to learn more about my work.

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