Poetry WORKSHOP
Stories of Our Working Lives: A Poetry Workshop for Seniors
September 11 I 12pm I $30
For ages 55+
Write poetry inspired by your own work experiences—and AMP’s powerful mural celebrating American workers. Led by poets Elizabeth Thomas and Steve Straight. For ages 55 and up.
Reflect. Write. Share.
Spend an afternoon writing poetry that draws on your own work experiences, surrounded by the American Mural Project’s monumental artistic tribute to workers.
Working individually and in a group, you’ll explore personal stories through guided writing sessions led by poets Steve Straight and Elizabeth Thomas. Whether you’ve written poetry before or are just getting started, you’ll find inspiration and expert guidance at this creative writing workshop.
You’ll have time to write, reflect, and share in a relaxed, artistic setting. The mural provides the creative spark. Your story brings it to life.
What to Expect
A guided creative poetry writing workshop designed for older adults
Inspiration drawn from AMP’s 120-foot indoor mural of American workers
Supportive instruction from two respected poet-educators
Opportunities to explore, create, and connect
Access to AMP’s inspiring, art-filled space
Quick Details
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025
Time: 12 to 4pm
Location: American Mural Project, 90 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT
Cost: $30 per participant
For: Adults ages 55+
Instructors: Steve Straight and Elizabeth Thomas
Your Workshop Leaders
Award-winning author and educator Steve Straight has published several acclaimed poetry collections, including Affirmation, winner of the 2023 William Meredith Award. He is a professor emeritus of English and was director of the poetry program at Manchester Community College, where he taught for 30 years.
Elizabeth Thomas, a nationally recognized poet, Master Teaching Artist for The Bushnell, and founder of UpWords Poetry, has led numerous writing workshops across the country and abroad, from schools in New England to women’s universities in the United Arab Emirates.
Workshop Details
Write and share your poetry in an inspiring art space. This poetry workshop for seniors uses AMP’s grand-scale mural of workers as a starting point to explore the meaning of work—through personal stories, shared reflections, and creative expression.
Guided by two seasoned poets, Steve Straight and Elizabeth Thomas, you’ll first write in response to the mural—the workers, the work, and the stories of labor, resilience, and creativity depicted there. In the second half of the workshop, we turn to our own lives—we all have poems in us about the jobs we have had, even the simplest ones. Workshop participants will look at several models of great poetry about work to get started, and then you’ll bring your personal experiences to the page.
You will leave with new poems, fresh inspiration, and a deeper appreciation for your own work stories—and how those stories connect to others and to the mural.
