Workshops
Learn the craft. Deepen the practice.​
Poetry is a practice. Every poem asks something different of us: attention, vulnerability, revision, experimentation, and courage. Our workshops create space to meet that work alongside other writers.
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Led by teaching artists and peer facilitators, Poet House workshops blend craft, conversation, generative writing, and opportunities to strengthen performance. Each session is designed to support your growth as a writer while connecting you to a community of artists.
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A little love nudge: A good spoken word poet nurtures their writing as much as their performance.
New Sh!t Social
Our monthly writing circle for poets working on fresh material.
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Open to writers of all experience levels
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Generative writing and creative exploration
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Performance development and practice
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Professional development opportunities
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Integrated writing, performance, and skill-building
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Community-centered learning and connection
Meet the Teaching Artists
Teaching Artist: A practicing artist who combines professional creative experience with educational and facilitation skills to guide participants in artistic development, creative expression, and meaningful learning experiences.
​Jazzelle
Jazzelle is a multifaceted writer, lyricist, and arts advocate from Memphis, TN, who uses spoken word and songwriting to center the Black experience through a lens of radical truth. A Red Poet, Consortium MMT Emerging Star, and Brave New Voices Alumna, Jazzelle has graced national stages from META-4 Houston’s 2018 slam team to the 2026 BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam. Today, she blends art with activism as a teaching artist, host, and grant writer for The Poet House, where she is dedicated to mentoring youth writers and securing paid opportunities for the next generation of literary creatives.
Mazat
Bio coming soon!
Maxochitl Cortez
Maxochitl is a queer poet & multidisciplinary artist whose work explores collective liberation, Indigenous rights, and grief. They have experience in cultural education, community organizing, and root their work in lived experience. As a teaching artist, they are especially interested in poetry as a social justice tool and vessel for authentic expression — creating spaces where writers can liberate themselves through art that supports collective liberation.
Ms. Trin-I-Tee
Ms. Trin-I-Tee is a spoken word and performance poet from Houston, Texas. A UT Austin graduate in Rhetoric and Writing, she has performed on 50+ stages in CTX and beyond. Their art confronts colonial practices and corrupt social systems, centering intersecting identities and radical imagination.
Workshops help you learn alongside community. Creative Coaching gives you dedicated time to focus on your individual work. Choose a consultation with a coach when you need sustained feedback, individualized coaching, or support with a specific creative goal or project.
Work With a Coach
Bring a Workshop to Your Community
The Poet House also offers workshops for schools, libraries, universities, nonprofits, businesses, and community organizations.
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Our teaching artists facilitate sessions on creative writing, spoken word, storytelling, performance, identity, community building, and arts education. Each workshop is tailored to the goals of your group and designed to meet participants where they are.
Workshop Formats
Public Workshops
Open registration for individual writers.
Private Workshops
Customized sessions for organizations, schools, and community groups.
Multi-Week Series
Extended opportunities to build skills over time.
Masterclasses
Special workshops led by visiting artists and nationally recognized poets.
Topics We Explore
Writing Craft
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Image and metaphor
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Revision
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Form and experimentation
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Narrative poetry
Performance
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Memorization
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Voice and delivery
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Stage presence
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Slam strategy
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Feature Performance
Professional Practice
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Publishing
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Artist statements
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Submissions
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Building a creative career
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Entrepreneurship
Community
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Writing circles
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Collaborative writing
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Peer accountability
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Identity and social constuctions
Our Philosophy
Every poet remembers someone who made the work feel possible. A mentor who stayed after the workshop. A room where sharing your words felt less like a performance and more like an act of trust.
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The Poet House exists to create more of those rooms.
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We believe poetry is more than an art form. It is a practice of paying attention, making meaning, and building community. Our workshops are rooted in the idea that every writer can deepen their craft through curiosity, revision, conversation, and consistent practice.
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We don't believe there is one "right" way to write a poem. Instead, we offer tools, questions, and creative challenges that encourage each writer to discover what their work is asking of them. Whether you're writing your first poem, preparing for your next slam, revising a manuscript, or simply looking to reconnect with your creativity, our workshops are designed to meet you where you are.
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Our teaching artists are working poets, educators, and performers who understand both the joy and the rigor of the creative process. They bring years of artistic practice into every session while fostering spaces where experimentation is welcomed, feedback is thoughtful, identities are celebrated, and every participant is treated with dignity and respect.
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We teach because strong literary communities don't happen by accident. They are built when artists share knowledge, encourage one another, and invest in the next generation of storytellers. Every workshop is an invitation to practice your craft, strengthen your voice, and become part of a community that believes poetry belongs to everyone.