Thank you to everyone who came out last night for the LiterarY Dinner to raise money for the Arts & Education Branch of the Syracuse YMCA, including The Downtown Writers Center. It was a joy to read my new poems alongside the awesome Elinor Cramer reading her poetry and the awesome Chris Cresswell playing his original songs! Thanks to the generosity of all who attended it was a very successful night’s fundraising!
I’m teaching an online 8-session (Thurs 6-8:00 pm ET) seminar on the history of the prose poem starting starting April 20 for the Downtown Writers Center. I believe this is the final week to register, so don’t delay if you’re interested. Join me Thursday evenings for a fun, inspiring tour of the prose poem from its start to the present day. Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. You can register with a credit card by calling (315) 474-6851 x380.
To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center and download the spring class schedule, with all of their awesome class offerings, visit the Center’s website: https://ymcacny.org/creative-writing-workshops.
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I’m teaching an online 8-session (Thurs 6-8:00 pm ET) contemporary world poetry seminar starting October 6 for the Downtown Writers Center. Join me Thursday evenings for a fun, inspiring tour of what poets all around the world are doing these days. All readings will be in English. No prior knowledge is required! Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. You can register with a credit card by calling (315) 474-6851 x380.
To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center and download the autumn class schedule, with all of their awesome class offerings, visit the Center’s website: https://ymcacny.org/creative-writing-workshops.
I’m teaching an online 8-session (Weds 6-8:00 pm ET) creative nonfiction class on the lyric essay starting January 26 for the Downtown Writers Center. Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. You can register with a credit card by calling (315) 474-6851 x380.
To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center and download the winter class schedule, with all of their awesome class offerings, visit the Center’s website: https://ymcacny.org/creative-writing-workshops.
I’ll be Zoom reading from my new poetry book, If We Had a Lemon We’d Throw It and Call That the Sun, on April 23 via The Downtown Writers Center of Syracuse, New York. Come help me celebrate the release of my book! I’ll be reading along with the awesome poet Shira Dentz! Yay! The reading is free, but you gotta register ahead of time to get the Zoom link. Info HERE.
I’m teaching two 6-week creative writing workshops (poetry & creative nonfiction) this summer via The Downtown Writers Center in Syracuse. Anyone anywhere can sign up to take them cuz online! Yay! Registration is inexpensive and open to the public — you don’t need to be a Y member! To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the summer class schedule with all its awesome class offerings, and register for these workshops, visit the Center’s website HERE. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!
P.S. classes cap at 10 students, so if you are interested, register early! 
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching an 8-week poetry writing workshop called “Place and Poetic Practice” starting October 2, 2019 at The Downtown Writer’s Center in sunny Syracuse, NY.
Place and Poetic Practice with Christopher Citro. Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00. 8 weeks, starting October 2. In this workshop we’ll discuss poetry that incorporates a sense of place to enchant and challenge the reader. We’ll use prompts and exercises drawn from our readings to inspire new writing. Required text: The Poem’s Country: Place & Poetic Practice, edited by Shara Lessley and Bruce Snider (Pleiades Press, 2018).
Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the winter class schedule, and register for this workshop, visit the Center’s website HERE. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching an 8-week poetry writing workshop called “In the Landscape of Contemporary Poetry” starting January 23, 2019 at The Downtown Writer’s Center in sunny Syracuse, NY. I teach this workshop every winter session, and the readings are all new every year. If you’re in the area come on down!
In the Landscape of Contemporary Poetry with Christopher Citro. Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:00. 8 weeks, starting January 23. “You grow to love the creatures you create/ some of them come out with pupils swirling/ others with teeth” writes Kaveh Akbar in his 2017 book Calling a Wolf a Wolf. In this regular winter session workshop, with all different readings each year, we’ll discuss poetry from recent books and journals, then use prompts from our readings to inspire us in the creation of our own darling poetic creatures.
Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the winter class schedule, and register for this workshop, visit the Center’s website HERE. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!
I’m delighted to share the news that I’ve been asked to be the guest poetry editor for the next issue of Stone Canoe. From now until July 8 we’ll be reading poetry for issue 13 to appear in 2019. I’m thrilled to join the team for the next issue and excited to read what you have to send us!
Stone Canoe, a journal of arts and ideas from Upstate New York, was founded at Syracuse University’s University College, and is now published by The YMCA’s Downtown Writers Center, at the Arts Branch of the YMCA of Greater Syracuse.
In order to be eligible to submit, you must have a first-person connection to Upstate New York, but the poems submitted can be about anything at all. The work does not need to involve New York State. For simplicity’s sake, we current define “Upstate” as that portion of the state which is outside of New York City and Long Island. Examples of qualifying connections include but are not limited to: being born here, even if you moved away later; going to college at an upstate school such as SUNY Binghamton, Ithaca College, Syracuse University, etc.; working in the area currently or at some point in the past.
Purchase copies of the most recent issues HERE.
Submit your work HERE!
Howdy friends. I’m delighted to share the news that I’ll be teaching an eight-week poetry workshop called “Welcoming Surprises” this spring at The Downtown Writer’s Center in sunny Syracuse (see class description below). Registration is inexpensive and open to the public. To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the spring class schedule, and register for these workshops, visit the Center’s website below. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!
Welcoming Surprises with Christopher Citro. Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00. 8 weeks, starting April 18. In this workshop, we’ll discuss poetry that incorporates leaps, turns, and the unexpected. We’ll use prompts and exercises drawn from our readings to inspire new writing that helps us break out of our ruts and embrace fresh discoveries.