Sharon Olds | Sharon Olds

Apr.25.2013 Last Class Today was the last class for Dreamworks, a workshop I teach on writing from dreams. Have taught this since 1985. There tends to be more emotion that in "regular" writing workshops. The material is less analytical or purely intellectual, more imaginative...	Oct.03.2012 Poetry Center San Jose is Hosting Sharon Olds for Workshop and Reading Tomorrow Much-esteemed poet Sharon Olds, formerly the Poet Laureate of New York State and a faculty member at New York University and the Squaw Valley Community of Writers, will be reading in downtown San Jose tomorrow. Those of you who snicker at the term ‘downtown San Jose’ might note that it...
Feb.11.2012 Poetry Center San Jose Will Host Noted National Poet Sharon Olds This October As the Poetry Foundation states: Sharon Olds is one of contemporary poetry’s leading voices. Winner of several prestigious awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, Olds is known for writing intensely personal, emotionally scathing poetry which graphically depicts family life...	Nov.20.2010 My First Reading Group Gig A local reading group bought copies of my book in advance and invited me to come to their group. It was a great evening. The question of ‘rhymed and metered vs. free verse' came up, along with some discussion of my dependence on the last line of my poems to jolt the reading of the first lines. ...
Jan.13.2010 Do what you are going to do, and I will tell about it When I found out about the topic of the week, I thought wow, make it tough on me! I’ve always loved poetry and written poems when the moment struck me. I also studied with a poetry teacher for years. Yet I know in my heart I love fiction and essays, but studying poetry has made my writing so much...	Jun.21.2009 Summer Solitice and Father's Day, Two By Sharon Olds Summer Solstice, New York City By the end of the longest day of the year he could not stand it, he went up the iron stairs through the roof of the building and over the soft, tarry surface to the edge, put one leg over the complex green tin cornice and said if they came a step closer that...
May.25.2009 The Lost Boy On May 25, 1979 Etan Patz got to walk to school all by himself. However, he never got to school and was declared dead in 2001. He would've been 36 today. The Missing Boy(for Etan Patz) Every time we take the busmy son sees the picture of the missing boy.He looks at it like a mirror - the darkblond...	Oct.26.2008 At the end of my mother's life for Jennifer Hudson One Secret Thing One secret thing happenedat the end of my mother’s life, when I wasalone with her. I knew it should happen—I knew someone was there, in there,something less unlike my mother thananything else on earth. And the jarwas there on the table, the space around...
Jun.20.2008 First Day of Summer Once again, say it with me:It's too darn hot!So here's another Sharon Olds poem to celebrate the first day of summer. I'm also including some of my fave summer songs in the videos section. And a totally unrelated note: Congrats, Ms. Jamie Lynn Spears on your Gem baby. Summer Solstice, New York...	Jun.14.2008 I Watched Him Breathe Because of computer problems and Father's Day, I'll be off-line. Stay classy, red room, and I'm sharing one of my favorite poems. The Race When I got to the airport I rushed up to the desk,bought a ticket, ten minutes laterthey told me the flight was cancelled, the doctorshad said my father would...