You might recall that ModPo and the Kelly Writers House hosted a weekend poetry retreat back in April—at Frost Valley in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. The spaces reserved for that weekend filled within 48 hours of my announcement! (Watch this 5-minute video and listen to what the participants had to say about the weekend.)
So we scheduled another weekend of poetry, also at Frost Valley. It will happen during the weekend of November 6-8. This second weekend-long session also filled up with two days of the first announcement. But wait—now I hear that there are currently TWO SPOTS open. (Click the link below if you want to secure one of the last two reservations for November 6-8.)
Anyway, I’m writing now with more exciting news!We have scheduled two more weekends of poetry—these too will be hosted at the 6,000-acre forested mountainside property at Frost Valley near Claryville, New York. Here are the dates:
October 30 – November 1, 2026 & February 5-7, 2027
These new weekend-long sessions will be led by poet and legendary ModPo TA Sophia DuRose. And they will be poetry writing workshops! Participants will work with Sophia and each other, in the mode of a workshop, to create their own writing in response to creative (and fun) prompts, seminar-style feedback, and time to revise and present.
The poetry writing workshop weekends will take place in a Rhine-style stone mansion known at Frost Valley as “the Castle” (built in 1916). There are three housing options (at different prices) for each of the two workshop weekends: a single room in the Castle; a shared room in the Castle; and a shared “bunk”-style room in Biscuit Lodge (also built in the 1910s) just a 2-minute walk away.Use this link for finding more information (including costs) and for registering:
You’ll need to log in or set up an account, after which you’ll select “Poetry Weekend” and then you’ll see all the info and links for reserving a space.Frost Valley is a non-profit organization, and so is ModPo and the Kelly Writers House. The fees for participating in these weekends cover exactly the costs of housing, meals, materials, and an honorarium for the workshop convener.
We look forward to seeing you in the mountains to talk more about poetry!
Since our first session back in 2012, ModPo people have arranged meet-ups around the world. And they have formed online study groups. To find a meet-up in your city or region and to find a study group you might like to join, click HERE. You can also post to the ModPo Facebook group HERE.
take ModPo for credit
Yes, you can take ModPo for University of Pennsylvania credit. A 10-week session is offered each year fall. This version of ModPo is taught by ModPo coordinator Laynie Browne. Click HERE for all the info you need. Contact Laynie with questions at modpo@writing.upenn.edu.
meet the ModPo TAs
ModPo TAs are famously responsive & generous with their time. Meet them HERE. Talk with them directly during office hours (schedule is HERE). Click HERE to watch an 11-minute video featuring the ModPo TAs in action.
More
to receive announcements:
If you would like to receive ModPo announcements by email, write to us at modpo@writing.upenn.edu. If you would like to receive weekly announcements about Kelly Writers House events (all of which are streamed live), write to wh@writing.upenn.edu.
ModPo Minute
Got 5 minutes? Check out the latest episode of ModPoMinute:
ModPo has created a Teacher Resource Center (“TRC“) for teachers who use ModPo poems & videos in their classrooms. Click HERE to read teaching guides and watch videos in which teachers talk about teaching with ModPo. If you wish to be added to our teachers mailing list, write us at modpo@writing.upenn.edu. Click HERE to discuss ModPo poems with other teachers.
CCCR
Our “Community Collaborative Close Readings” page consists of videos created by ModPo people worldwide as they gather together to collaborate on the close reading of a poem from or related to the ModPo syllabus. Click HERE to visit the CCCR page and watch some of the videos—and to read guidelines for creating your own CCCR video.
PoemTalk
PoemTalk is a monthly podcast produced by Al Filreis at the Kelly Writers House in collaboration with the Poetry Foundation. All episodes, including the newest, are archived at Jacket2 magazine HERE. You can also listen and subscribe through Apple Podcasts by clicking HERE or Spotify by clicking HERE. Most PoemTalk episodes are audio-only, but here is the video recording of PoemTalk #127—about a poem by John Ashbery:
