IMPROMPTU #105: Hoa Nguyen, Circle, Free Write

I'm currently at the Banff Arts Centre working on my full length poetry manuscript. One of my mentors here is the Toronto poet Hoa Nguyen. Yesterday, Hoa led an incredible freewriting exercise in which one of the steps was to lovingly draw a circle somewhere on the page through which your ancestors may speak to you. This was so profound for me. Anytime I got stuck or felt lost during the exercise, I looked at my circle and something filled the space. 

So today's prompt: "what are you noticing?" 

Draw your own circle. Set a timer for 10, 20, 40 minutes, or just go for however long you want. Write from your heart and your history. 

I'd love to hear about your experience. Comment below, or email me, or message me on Instagram, @impromptuprompts. 

Hoa Nguyen facilitates an incredibly cool workshop series in Toronto. Toronto poets, check it out. 

IMPROMPTU #103: The Worst Thing

but what if I,
had harmed, love?  I howled this out,
and on my glasses the salt water pooled, almost
sweet to me, then, because it was named,
the worst thing - and once it was named,
I knew there was no god of love, there were only
people.


- Sharon Olds, "The Worst Thing"

Today's prompt is inspired by Sharon Olds: "The worst thing." Whatever form this takes for you. <3