Crafting Hold-Your-Breath Tension with Kelly Grace Thomas—June 21

Every great poem is a tug of war. Join award-winning poet Kelly Grace Thomas for a generative workshop that examines and explores the effectiveness and impact of tension in poetry.

In this three-hour workshop, we will use strategy and structure to examine opposition and juxtaposition. Expect to write poems full of balance and risk, charisma and charge. We also will read and discuss poems by Franny Choi, Chen Chen, Shira Erlichman, and more.

In this workshop, you will…

• Explore the balance between contrast and emotional risk

• Learn how to hook the reader through syntax, sound, and surprise

• Use juxtaposition and opposing forces to create unforgettable moments

• Leave with three new drafts that push and pull

Workshop takeaways

Participants will learn three surefire strategies to apply and increase hold-your-breath tension. We will also identify and discuss what pitfalls decrease both interest and anticipation. Expect to leave with straightforward, concrete tools and three new drafts. 

Additional info

This workshop will be recorded for the convenience of those unable to attend live. The recorded session will be emailed to participants the following day.

About the Instructor

KELLY GRACE THOMAS is a poet, writer, educator, and an ocean-obsessed Aries from Jersey. She is the author of Future Tense (forthcoming from Alice James Books, 2026) and Boat Burned (YesYes Books, 2020). She is the winner of the Jane Underwood Poetry Prize and the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Kelly’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in: The Sun, The Adroit Journal, 32 Poems, Los Angeles Review, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere. www.kellygracethomas.com