Erasure Poetry Workshop

Explore writing your own erasure poem in this illuminating workshop led by Crystal Ignatowski, artist-in-residence of Hypatia in the Woods.

Erasure poetry, also known as blackout poetry, is a poetry form where the writer takes an existing text and “erases” portions of it to reveal their own new poem.

Participants of this workshop will learn the history of erasure poetry which dates back to the early 1900’s and how it continues to inform today’s contemporary landscapes.

Participants can then create their own erasure poem using provided texts and materials. Texts will include newspaper clippings, scholarly articles, and book pages. Erasure materials will include pens, markers, and other media such as leaves, foliage, dried beans, and more.

Come answer the question “Is erasure poetry meant to erase a text’s current meaning, or is it meant to reveal a newer, larger truth?”

This workshop is geared to those 18+

Free/Public, Limited seats RSVP Required

Crystal Ignatowski is an Oregon poet. Her debut chapbook, Rabbit Hole, was published by Portland publisher Cathexis Northwest Press in 2024. She is a Best of the Net nominee and the recipient of the 2018 Poets on the Coast Fellowship. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She lives in Salem with her husband and three children.