POETRY AND FLOWER ARRANGING

Arranging Words and Flowers: Blue Iris by Mary Oliver

Sat. August 10th, 10 am - 12 pm in the Historic Barn

$35 per person

In this workshop Troy Hess from On the Yahara Writing Center will facilitate a poetry discussion of one of Mary Oliver's most flower-centric collections of poetry, Blue Iris. Participants will then choose their own flower(s) as art and expression to create an arrangement with a professional florist. A PDF with the poetry readings will be sent to participants in advance.

A Wisconsin native, Troy has enjoyed nature and the process of writing for as long as he can remember. His passion for writing led him to complete a minor in English from UW-La Crosse and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing & Poetry from Winona State University, as well as to teach college English for 10 years at Viterbo University and Western Wisconsin Technical College.

Three years ago Troy completed a fellowship in the Social Innovation and Sustainability Leadership program at Edgewood College, Madison, where he focused on the connections between sustainability, eco-literacy, nature writing, and how to offer these as classes outside of standard academic institutions.

Nowadays you can find Troy volunteering as a Land Restoration Team Leader for the UW Arboretum, writing for CHEW Magazine, teaching OTY workshops at Olbrich Gardens or the Arboretum, or writing about his favorite books, recipes, and travel destinations.