Bolt FMs own Eilish McAnally was one of the participants in the St. Peter's College Poetry Workshop held on Saturday, June 8th. The free workshop sponsored by the Saskatchewan Writers' Guild allowed writers at varying levels to come together and share ideas in support of each other's work.

Leading the workshop was multi-award winning poet Sheri Benning. Originally from the Humboldt area, Benning completed her Ph.D. at the University of Glasgow and has returned to teach at the University of Saskatchewan.

The experiences of the writers attending the event were as varied as the places they came from. Benning explained, "There were nine participants. Two of them were grad students doing their Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing at the U of S. One was from Manitoba and the other was from Seattle." Other participants came from Prince Albert or hailed from the Humboldt area.

Benning enjoyed the "cross-pollination" of ideas that came with the diversity. One of the participants was a local songwriter who brought rhythmic and lyrical qualities inherent in her work. This led to a discussion about imagery, metaphor, and line length. The incorporation of varied visions was both productive and fun according to Benning. 

As a form of communication, Benning explores with her students the difference between poetry and prose. "Poetry has elements that make it able to communicate in a different way. While prose is reliant on a kind of linear logic for its momentum, poetry can make use of associative thinking. You can make imaginative leaps that you wouldn't be able to do in prose. Poetry works in sound because it's still very much an oral art. It's akin to music in that way." 

Even the simplicity of where the writer chooses to break a line and move on to the next one can communicate different ideas explains Benning. Bringing all of the tools together to communicate ideas that would otherwise be challenging is the work of the poet.

Benning will be returning to St. Peter's College to offer a major workshop opportunity with Governor General Award winner Tim Lilburn in a writers' workshop geared to the impact of climate change on the psyche. Lilburn is one of Canada's first eco-poets in that his work has always attended to elements of the natural environment and the sensitivity to human impact. Lilburn is a former teacher at St. Peter's who now instructs creative writing at the University of Victoria. That event runs at St. Peter's College from July 27th-29th. 

Check out Eilish McAnally's blog on the Bolt FM side.