Perie Longo

Poetry

Crafting of poems that students bring to the “feast of words.”

Monday & Tuesday
9-11:30 AM
Wednesday - Friday
1:00-3:30 PM
RM 1-240

Longo suggests how to improve specific poems and offers commentary on poetry writing in general, including the structure, emotional content, language, imagery, rhythm, what strengthens a poem, and when it is not working, why. Assignments are given each day.There is some writing in the workshop. Students need to bring typed copies of their poems they want crafted and 10 copies to distribute for workshop participants to also give comments.

Special guests are often expected!

Message to Students

Focusing on the importance of language, imagery and figurative speech, structure and rhythm, helps us all say what is difficult to express in a fresh way that lasts after the last line. If it’s your first time the conference, come as you are and be prepared to leave forever changed.

Bio

Perie Longo Poet Laureate emerita of Santa Barbara, California (2007-2009), has published five books of poetry: Milking The Earth (1986), The Privacy Of Wind (1987), With Nothing Behind But Sky: a journey through grief (2006), Baggage Claim(2014) and chapbook A Mosaic of Poetry for Kids (2013). Her work has appeared in numerous journals including Atlanta Review, Connecticut Review, International Poetry Review, Nimrod, Paterson Literary Review, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, Rattle, Salt and Solo as well as in recent anthologies The Nature of Our Times((2025),When a Woman Tells the Truth: by Woman Over 80 (2024) and Women in a Golden State (2025). She has taught poetry for the Santa Barbara Writers Conference since 1984, California-Poets-in-the-Schools (1985-2016) and privately. As a psychotherapist, she integrates poetry writing for healing. In 2025 she was awarded the Inaugural Literary Champion for Santa Barbara County.

Writing Tip I Live By

Read great authors but don’t write to be great. Write to create, to inhabit a world you can grow into.

Literary (and other) Heroes

Longo’s favorite poets are William Stafford, Philip Levine, Hilda Raz, Pablo Neruda, Lisel Mueller, Anna Akhmatova, Edna St.Vincent Millay, W. S. Merwin,Ted Kooser, Sharon Olds to name a few, and she recommends Best Words, Best Order by Stephen Dobyns and Walking Light by Stephen Dunn.