Book A Writer / Our Writers

ABOUT

Jollin Tan is a writer and poet. Her first two poetry collections, Bursting Seams and Derivative Faith, are published by Math Paper Press. Jollin’s work can also be found in anthologies such as Body Boundaries, SingPoWriMo The Anthology, Balik Kampung 3B: Some East, More West. Her poetry has also been curated for Prairie Schooner and the Singapore Writer’s Festival.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• 2013 – Bursting Seams (Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013)

• 2013 – Derivative Faith (Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013)

WORKSHOPS

THE EKPHRASTIC, OR, ART IN POETRY
For: upper sec., junior college; 10–20 pax
Availability: 2.5 hours per session; single session
Description: This workshop will explore the way art and poetry can intersect, and how one might go about writing an ekphrastic poem that achieves a purpose beyond commentary on the aesthetic of an art piece. Participants can expect to gain a deeper understanding of what informs art movements, and how literary texts might correspond to or comment on the tenets that underlie these movements.
Learning Outcomes: Understanding how art and poetry have always been closely related; the background of what goes into an art piece, or even a whole movement of art; how to begin research and discern for oneself the starting point of an ekphrastic poem, how to pay attention to the intention of the art piece one is looking at even as they seek to use it for poetry or writing.

EDITING THE PERSONAL IN POETRY
For: upper sec., junior college; 5–15 pax
Availability: 2.5 hours per session; single session
Description: This workshop helps participants look at popular confessional poetry, as well as any of their own poetry addressing personal topics related to identity and selfhood. Participants can look forward to gaining more knowledge of how different literary techniques might be used to express the their own perspective or personal experience. Following from this, they gain a more thorough understanding of different ways they might shape or edit a poem during or after the initial writing process.
Learning Outcomes: Understanding that poetry about the personal can take a variety of forms; how confessional poetry addresses the complexity of identity and one’s sense of self; learning how to express this understanding with a variety of different literary methods and techniques.