SMCE4020 F26 Less is More: Freedom Within Poetic Constraints and the Power of Compression

• Duration: Full-day workshop 
• Day of the Week: Saturday
• Date: October 24th, 2026
• Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Location: TBD
• Cost: $150.00 (includes HST) 

In this in-person workshop, explore the creative potential of short-form poetry through constraint, compression, and experimentation. Participants will engage with a variety of poetic forms—from haiku to sonnets—discovering how limits can spark originality and sharpen voice. Using the AWA Method, the session fosters a supportive, non-hierarchical environment where writers generate new work, share aloud, and respond to what resonates. Leave with several new poems and practical techniques to continue developing your craft.

**Coffee will be provided, please plan to bring a litterless lunch or purchase lunch from a local café** 

This course is delivered in person using the Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) Method, which emphasizes a supportive, non-hierarchical workshop environment. Participants write during guided exercises, share their work aloud, and respond to others by highlighting strengths and resonant elements. The instructor writes alongside participants, modeling creative risk-taking and fostering mutual trust. Craft concepts are introduced through hands-on experimentation rather than lecture, allowing learning to emerge organically through practice, reflection, and positive feedback.

Learning Outcomes:  

In this workshop, you will:

• Identify and differentiate key short poetic forms, including haiku, couplets, and sonnets
• Analyze how constraint and compression shape meaning, tone, and poetic impact
• Apply formal and spatial limitations to compose original short poems
• Create multiple polished short-form poems and share them using AWA workshop practices

About the Instructor

Kate Marshall Flaherty

Kate Marshal Flaherty guides workshops in the AWA Method, where participants write, read and comment in a safe and inclusive circle. This Method was developed by Pat Schneider, author of “Writing Alone and With Others,” who asserts that all writers have a unique voice, and that the deepening of craft can be done organically and without harm to that unique voice. Kate Marshall Flaherty has published eight books of poetry, most recently “Titch,” Piquante Press 2023, and “Digging,” Aeolus House, 2022. She was shortlisted for the Mitchell Poetry Prize 2021, Arc’s Poem of the Year 2019 and the Gwendolyn MacEwen Poetry Prize 2018. She has been published in numerous Canadian and international journals such as The Literary Review of Canada, American Academy of Poets, Contemporary Verse 2, Vallum, Grain, Room, untethered and Trinity Review. She is monthly host at the Art Bar, Canada’s longest running poetry series. She writes spontaneous “Poems Of the Extraordinary Moment” (P.O.E.M.s) for charity, in person and online, and guides StillPoint Writing and Poetry Editing Circles in the AWA Method in person and online. See her performance poetry at https://katemarshallflaherty.ca.

Questions?

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