Announcing my private writing workshops for late fall 2024!

In the Landscape of Contemporary Poetry. Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET. 6 weeks, starting December 4. We’ll read recently published poetry from literary journals and books, generate new poems with the help of prompts that I create, and spend the bulk of each class in a fun, inspiring poetry workshop. In this course participants will write and receive workshop comments on five original poems. Writers at all levels are welcome. I teach In the Landscape of Contemporary Poetry often, and every time the readings are all new, so you can take it again and again!

Creative Nonfiction Workshop. Thursdays, 6:00-8:00 p.m. ET. 6 weeks, starting December 5. In this class I’ll provide craft talks, original writing prompts, and we’ll take recent literary essays apart to see how the writers achieved their astonishing effects. Then we’ll workshop creative nonfiction essays (micros, flash or full-length up to 4,000 words – all are welcome!). I teach this class often, and the readings are always different. If you’ve taken it before you can always take it again and the class content will be new. Writers at all levels are welcome!

Registration is now open, and it closes on Sunday December 1.

Details & registration available at: https://christophercitro.com/private-classes/

Register soon as spaces fill quickly! 

Brian Citro’s Acoustic Pastime – Solo Guitar just released from ears&eyes Records!

My nephew Brian Citro has just had released an album of solo jazz guitar (5 of his original compositions 2 Thelonious Monk tunes, and a jazz standard) from Chicago’s ears&eyes Records. It’s called “Acoustic Pastime – Solo Guitar,” and it’s a dreamy, meditative, beautiful album and I highly recommend it. Also, I wrote the liner notes to it! You can purchase the album (for any price you wish) HERE.And you can read my liner notes there too!

I’m teaching at this summer’s virtual Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing!

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be teaching at this summer’s virtual Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing June 6-13! LOOK at this list of my fellow instructors: Alexander Weinstein, Adrian Matejka, Tia Clark, Britton Shurley, Amelia Martens, Wendy Rawlings, Joshunda Sanders, Elizabeth Schmuhl, Keith Taylor, Matthew Gavin Frank, Phong Nguyen, and John T Howard. Register now and join us!!!
https://www.mvicw.com/

Ragdale Report I (photos from my Ragdale residency)

Welcoming us writers, poets, dancers, artists, choreographers, documentarians to this special place. ❤️
http://ragdale.org/

Unpacking in the “Top of the Stairs,” my room in Ragdale, an arts & crafts house designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, built in 1897 and home to the Ragdale Foundation, an artists’ retreat and haven for creating.

Salivating over the window seat in my room and the private “treehouse” sleeping porch….

…and the private “treehouse” sleeping porch.

Marking the Occasion

Today I celebrate beginning my 100th writing journal. Nearly every poem I’ve ever written began as a first draft in these journals, starting with journal #1 way back in my sophomore year in high school. Which was some time ago now. 🙂

Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize Finalist

It’s a pleasure to announce that my book The Maintenance of the Shimmy-Shammy (Steel Toe Books, 2015) was selected as one of four finalists for the Eugene Paul Nassar Poetry Prize, a post-publication prize from Utica College. Thank you to judge Juliana Gray and to Gary Leising, the prize coordinator. And congratulations to Laura Donnelly, this year’s winner for her book Watershed.

You can purchase a copy from Amazon, Barnes & Noble Online, or direct from the publisher.

Book reviewers may email me directly to request a review copy.