Comments from Past Students

Poetry Writing: Getting to Good

"I finish this assignment with a sadness, but also, joy in the accomplishment. I cannot in truth describe my gratitude for your unending patience, understanding, and pure love for the written word. I have been very privileged to have had you as a teacher, but more like a mentor, one who cares about poetry to the extent of giving beyond and going beyond what would be required of a teacher. You are to be praised for your ability, but also, your enthusiasm for the innate love of poetry. I thank you for your patience with me, I have gleaned so much, and I know I have many more roads to travel, but you were the guiding star. I will never cease to write poetry, but I vow I will learn to write better and always thank you for getting me motivated to 'get to the good.' I am enjoying your chapbook and I read it everyday, like my Bible. Thank you for all that you are." ~ Nanci Rubin, Fredericksburgh, VA

"I enjoyed this class very much. To have an online course is a wonderful resource for someone like me: an American living overseas. That the course was given by UW-Madison was also a plus, as I am a UW-Madison graduate, and I recognize the quality of the teachers is very high. I had run across Laurel Yourke's book "Take Your Characters to Dinner" earlier when I was interested in writing short stories, and I was glad to see that she was teaching this poetry course. The responses I received on my poetry were prompt and insightful, and I feel I learned a lot during this course. I think the cost was reasonable.

"I want to thank you for your mentorship, too short as it was, which significantly helped me to get into bed with my poems and wrap myself with their sounds, touch, smell, and taste. Your combination of candor, and an astute eye for the warts and the song of my submissions, in harmony with encouragement, was a delight. I particularly loved the 'reasons' for your comments - the explanation of why something needed help or why something worked. In each case, after reflection, you showed me a better way. I originally took the course to loosen my writing style from years of scientific writing. I knew poetry would help and send me on my way to fiction. In stead, you have helped me see that poetry is more than I thought...and poetry is where I'll remain. I only wish I could learn from you face-to-face" ~ Paul Saluk, Woodstock, Georgia

"I greatly enjoyed and learned from your course, 'Getting to Good.' I liked the way the sections were organized and appreciated the excellent links to poetry resources on the internet. I had no idea there were so many! Many writers hesitate before taking courses that will 'teach us how to write' as if we need to absorb a set of rules before being licensed to practice. Your course is quite different - it liberates imagination and it allows the writer to grow and proceed at the rate that is most convenient to him or her. Your comments on each poem were not only useful in revising my work but also in guiding me in achieving the objective of the course - getting to good (or at least getting better). As a middle-aged writer of prose who is only a beginner poet, you have encouraged me to strive in this field." ~ Ralph Smith, Ottawa, Ontario

"Laurel Yourke is everything you could hope for in a professor and more. She is supportive, encouraging, and highly intelligent. Her course curriculum is brilliant in the manner it analyzes the various components of good poetry. Sound, image, and language are all discussed in clear, concise ways that leave the student with a much firmer grasp of what poetry is. Laurel Yourke's ideas on poetry are always backed with excellent examples and essays from well-known poets. This course is a treasure chest of ideas and information. And Laurel Yourke is the swash buckling sea captain who teaches you everything you ever needed to know about the sea."

"It was so well structured- it really helped me nail down the basics. I've felt that I've had technical limitations as a non-English majoy. I especially appreciate the checklists. The links expanded possibilities of style, were so easy to go to at just the right time and showed me many of the resources available on the internet. And the 'Challenge' was a particularly invigorating way to end a session. I'm certainly more confident as a poet and that's a good thing." ~ Barb Barnard, Madison, Wisconsin

"I have enjoyed corresponding with you in this class. I found that the class was a helpful way to motivate me to write more. Also, having monthly assignments on specific technical skills helped me not only focus but also improve my writing. In addition, I appreciated the speed of your responses and how you gave constructive criticism that was honest but also supportive. Now that I have completed some new works through this class, my goal is to refine some of my poems and send them out for possible publication. Thank you for your advice and guidance throughout this course! ~ Andrea Johannes, Matsudo, Japan

"And now to tell you just how much I appreciate your gift as a teacher, one who will not allow you to give up and throw in the 'towel'. I am so glad that you gently urged me on beyond what I thought I could do, and make me realize that 'getting to the good' is what it is all about. This was my second go around in the class and I am amazed at how much I gleaned, or is it because as an old girl it just takes me longer? You are amazing in your infinite patience and you possess all the qualities that an excellent teacher should have, I am honored to have been in your class and will always thank you for allowing me to see beyond the mundane. I shall remain committed to 'getting to the good' in every aspect of life." ~ Nanci Rubin, Fredericksburg, VA.

"I have found Laurel's lessons succinct and full of information, and with each rereading providing deeper understanding. 'Getting To Good' has given me basic grasp of poetry writing (and reading). Adding Laurel's critiques, suggestions and ready encouragement have made this course exciting, and challenges me to pursue this path with even great ardor." ~Patricia Jameson, Madison.

"Laurel Yourke's guidance of my poetry has been of enormous benefit to my abilities as a writer. Her insights and suggestions are amazingly candid, profound, and helpful."

"In just a few short weeks, I have learned more about poetry than I thought possible. Even though I've attended classes taught by accomplished poets/professors, not one of them has had the clarity of vision or articulation skills that Laurel possesses. She has the remarkable talent of making the "learning of poetry" accessible. Simply put, she's one of the best teachers I've ever had." ~Rob Bell, Livermore, California

"This is for Unit 5. I have been putting it off because I've enjoyed this course so much and didn't want it to end. Thank you for this course, the feedback, and responses. I've enjoyed all of it and learned plenty." ~Paul Supkoff, Canoga Park, CA

"Overall, I was extremely pleased with the course. I have come out of it with a much better understanding of what makes a poem work. I'm better able to understand (and evaluate) the poems I read, and I also see improvement in my writing. The online material is excellent. I've printed out all of it, and find myself going back to it~~to the exercises, the explanations, and the lists of contemporary poets. Also, I found your criticisms to be on~target. They were succinct and clear, and forced me to do my own work in revising. You didn't rewrite for me, but forced me to think. In short, I'm very glad I took the class. It's given me a big boost forward and inspired me to continue writing. Thanks!" ~Mimi Boral, Austin, Texas

"I entered into this class with no prior poetry~writing experience. By the time I’d gone through lesson1, I was reading books of poetry and actually understanding more of them than ever before. The first thing I got out of this class, early on, was a greater appreciation of poetry, and now I want to read more and more poets. Before this, I’d only written fiction and non~fiction prose. Learning poetry was like learning another language in a way and it’s made me read fiction differently. I’m much more able to identify imagery, etc., in everything I read now. For me this has been very similar to singing. I’ve sung popular music since age 7, but recently I began taking classical singing lessons. I find now that I listen to ALL music with a different ear. That’s what poetry has been life for me. Throughout the class, I was amazed at how you could pinpoint what my poems needed. You always helped me understand why certain parts of poems didn’t feel right to me. Sometimes I still couldn’t fix what was wrong, but at least I was able to understand where I needed improvement. I’m very interested in 'Take Your Characters to Dinner' and several other classes being offered at UW. You guys are the best thing I ever found surfing the Internet!!! Thanks again for a great experience and for helping me tap into my inner poet for the first time." ~Mary Ellen Whitaker, Natick, MA

"Your (Laurel Yourke's) workshops are challenging and stimulating, and I come away with a great deal from them. Analyzing poets like Ammons and Stevens is important for me. I really appreciate how you critique and encourage all of us.” ~Jane Koumoud, Sheboygan, WI

“I like that you keep looking at new ways to say and show us fundamentals. Light bulbs go off for me at unexpected times when you trip different circuits. Thank you for investing your continuing new thought to old subjects. If you were staid, your classes would not be one~tenth as helpful or interesting as they are.” ~Pam Spencer, La Crosse, WI

“As President and then Program Co~Chair, for two years, of a 200 member writers’ group in Winnetka, IL, I’ve heard from between 50 and 75 different speakers who have taught—or tried to—various aspects of craft in every genre: fiction, —adult and children’s; nonfiction—memoir, essay, feature writing and poetry. Laurel Yourke ranks in the top two percent! She is a rare teacher. She has respect and empathy for her students; she understands the challenges we face and is determined to convey her material in ways we are able to understand. She has a real knack for coming up with just the right explanation or the perfect metaphor with which to make things clear.” ~Julie Weary, Presque Isle, WI

“Laurel Yourke manages to extract practical, sensible ideas out of the most mundane material….she has a remarkable ability to convey subtle ideas clearly and a most fertile mind.” ~Richard Merelman, Madison, WI

“I always learn a lot, feel supported and have fun at Laurel’s workshops. Her feedback is at once gentle, penetrating and precise…I like that Laurel has definite opinions and can give you exactly what her reasons are for those opinions—also that she is modest enough to present them as opinions.” ~Pamela Lewis, Madison, WI

"I found the information especially well organized. That is, the progression worked well. And each unit was thorough and complete. Separating out the dimensions to poetry was very useful as a learning tool. The critiques were great and always kept me moving toward improving my poems. I found the web sites a lot of fun, although a few links didn't work. I also appreciated the list of poets to read and am still working on it. I found the exercises useful conceptually, but couldn't complete all of them. Just too many possibilities. All in all, an excellent experience. Thank you." ~Susan Tollefson, Lancaster, WI