PSNY Virtual Workshop: The Poetic Turn

An all-levels generative virtual workshop with poet Kelly Grace Thomas!

What makes a poem unforgettable? The turn. That sharp pivot, emotional swerve, or unexpected insight that takes the reader somewhere brand new. In this high-energy, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to craft bold, surprising turns that spark momentum, deepen meaning, and keep readers breathless for what’s next.

​Through close reads of work by Andrea Cohen, Ada Limón, Molly Braddock, we’ll explore how contrast, risk, and revelation build poems that crackle with urgency. You’ll leave not only with two fresh drafts, but with powerful tools to transform your poems through the art of the volta.

​In this workshop, you’ll:
• Harness the volta to create tension and surprise
• Use form, contrast, and momentum to shape unforgettable poems
• Learn strategic techniques to amplify emotional impact
• Leave with two bold, in-progress poems—and the skills to keep going

About the Instructor: KELLY GRACE THOMAS is a poet, writer, educator, and an ocean-obsessed Aries from Jersey. She is the author of Future Tense (forthcoming from Alice James Books, 2026) and Boat Burned (YesYes Books, 2020). She is the winner of the Jane Underwood Poetry Prize and the Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. Kelly’s poems have appeared or are forthcoming in: The Sun, The Adroit Journal, 32 Poems, Los Angeles Review, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere. Kelly has received fellowships from the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing and Kenyon Review Young Writers’ Workshop. Kelly is also the co-author of poetry curriculums Voices in Verse: Poetry, Identity, and Ethnic Studies; Stanzas of America: Celebrating BIPOC Poetry; and Words Ignite: Explore, Write, and Perform Classic and Spoken Word Poetry (Get Lit), which are currently taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Kelly is a Blackburn Fellow in the Randolph College MFA program. She lives in Benicia, California, where she teaches and coaches poetry online. www.kellygracethomas.com

**This workshop will take place on Zoom.**