The 44 Poetry Class
(Level 1)
The 44 Poetry Class is a collaboration between the Community Literature Initiative and the Sims Library of Poetry focused on teaching writers how to improve their poetry and giving them space to write and recite. This class is for beginner poets, who are looking to enhance their craft.
​
​
Classes take place on Zoom, every 1st and 3rd Saturday morning. To sign up for the class, click the button below. You can choose to pay monthly ($44/month) or yearly ($528/year).
By signing up for the class and paying the monthly tuition, you will be a 44 donor/member of the Sims Library of Poetry and you will receive other perks, including a bi-monthly printed newsletter.
​
Cost of class: $44/month or $528/year
If you'd prefer you pay for the classes individually select Fall/Summer registration
"Within a year of being in the 44 Class I am now a published poet and I have done my first reading where other poets shouted “One of us!” when I confessed to my nervousness. My creative self has found a sacred home through the 44 Class. Twice a month I look forward to the deep dive into poetry given with such care by the teachers. The lessons have inspired some of my best writing which seems to flow because of the confidence and support given by all the individuals in the class. It is truly a community that I feel blessed to be able to help support with immense gratitude for all that I have received." ~ Gia Civerolo
I joined the Poetry 44 Class in October 2021. That may have been one of the best decisions I've made in a very long time. The lessons that I have learned in the 44 Class have catapulted my creativity and how I write to heights, I never could have imagined. I now grasp style, form, and other aspects of sharing my poems deliberately. I say "deliberately" because I can write with intent so that my readers will receive what I am sharing in the way that I want it to be accepted. I was not writing in this manner before the 44 class. Because of the 44 Class, I use the forms and styles of poetry to make sense. In other words, I understand how to expand and embrace my gift in writing. Every Saturday morning, I am excited because I know it is time for my class. That's how strongly I feel about this class. Hiram Sims, Karo Ska, Kuahmel Allah, and the entire Sims Library staff feel like an extended family. The 44 Class has allowed me to attend Poetry Readings, Open Mic Nights, and even share some of my original poems. Participating in this class has been an experience of a lifetime. I have the confidence to believe that my poetry will take me places that I never thought I could go. ~ Tonia McMillian