Exploring Surreal Prose Poetry

Prose poetry is the art of writing poetry in the shape of longer-form text... and Jose Hernandez Diaz, a past Poetry Fellow of the National Endowment of the Arts, is a master of the craft.

Join Jose and a small group of peers in a fun, writing-focused prose poetry workshop with a focus on the surreal. Each week you’ll read and discuss surrealist prose poems from established masters, and then draft your own work using Jose’s innovative prompts.

As you write your poetry, you’ll get feedback from Jose and your peers in an exciting, friendly, and supportive workshop environment. You’ll also participate in optional live Zoom sessions with Jose to get personal face time and to ask any questions you might have. No prior prose poetry experience is necessary—just a love for writing poems and a desire to write.

At the end of the workshop you’ll leave feeling invigorated, with a deep understanding of the prose poem and with 5–15 new poems written and ready to share with the world!

Some of Jose’s career highlights

What you’ll learn

After you finish this workshop, you’ll:

• Complete an overview of prose poetry, with a focus on surrealist themes and imagery.

• Explore the work of master prose poets to fully understand the craft.

• Write 5-15 new poems based on unique and fun prompts.

• Get personal feedback from Jose and your peers on the new poetry you’ve written, in a fun and friendly workshop environment.

Student praise for Jose Hernandez Diaz

I have known Mr. Jose Hernandez Diaz for nearly a year, having found him through social media and hired him as a reader and editor of my poetry based solely on his own body of work. As a mentor, Mr Hernandez Diaz is professional, using positive encouragement while lending his expertise and thorough knowledge to help make me a stronger writer, with a clearer voice. I found his encouragement so beneficial that I ultimately took a class he was offering through Litro Magazine so that I could better understand his own work ethic, style and methods of delivery. I am a huge fan of him as a teacher. He drew upon his extensive publishing experience, offering advice not only about writing styles, but also about various journals and literary magazines that he felt would be a good fit for each student. His manner was competent, kind and motivating. When he critiqued written assignments, he did so without making major changes, offering instead a knowledge of the technical aspects of poetry (enjambment, rhythm, word choice) while keeping the student’s own experience and voice true. I would highly recommend Mr. José Hernández Díaz as a mentor and teacher.

—Elisabeth Contreras-Moran, Princeton University, Class of 1999

I have now taken a four-week course from and worked 1:1 with Jose Hernandez Diaz. His feedback is sharp, specific, and kind, and he always gives great suggestions for how to punch up a poem and where to submit it once it’s polished and shining to its fullest potential. I highly recommend learning from him in any way that you can!

-Melissa Greenwood, MFA

Jose’s feedback is among the most useful and valuable feedback I’ve ever received. He considers not just the poems, but the collective story they tell and the style in which they’re told. His feedback helped me tailor my manuscript to a succinct number of pages that clarified and strengthened my message. He takes great care for form and voice especially. His feedback helps poets elevate their free verse form to set them apart from amateur poets. He challenges his clients to push the syntax of our lines in order to have a distinct, authentic voice in our poems. Ultimately though, what truly sets Jose apart from other editors is his teaching background. He approaches projects as learning opportunities for his clients. He isn’t just polishing our works, he is polishing our abilities so that way, when we begin our next collection, we have the tools we need to create new work with form and voice at the forefront of what we do. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone work with Jose.

-S. Salazar

Zoom schedule

Along with these Zoom calls, you’ll also spend time taking in lectures and chatting on Scribophile over the course of the class. All Zoom calls are recorded, so if you miss one you can review it later.

• Tuesday June 13, 2023 2:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

• Tuesday June 20, 2023 2:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

• Tuesday June 27, 2023 2:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

• Wednesday July 5, 2023 2:00pm US Central time — 1 hour

How this workshop works

This class is conducted entirely online, on Scribophile and via Zoom videoconference. Participate from anywhere in the world!

You’ll join the instructor and your fellow students in a private group hosted on Scribophile. Take in reading and assignments at your own speed, and discuss them with the instructor and your classmates in the online class discussion forum.

You’ll also participate in Zoom videoconferences with the instructor and your classmates so you can get live lessons and insights, and ask questions in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Videoconferences will be recorded, so you can review them later if you missed them.

Questions about this class?

We’re happy to answer any questions you might have!

• Check out our Writing Class FAQ for answers to some common questions.

• Contact us and a real person will get back to you ASAP.

About Jose Hernandez Diaz

Jose Hernandez Diaz is a 2017 NEA Poetry Fellow. He is the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020) and the forthcoming Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024). His work appears in The American Poetry Review, Boulevard, Cincinnati Review, Colorado Review, Huizache, Iowa Review, The Missouri Review, Northwest Review, The Nation, Poetry, Poetry Daily, The Progressive, The Southern Review, Verse Daily, Witness Magazine, Yale Review, and in The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2011. He has taught creative writing for Hugo House, Lighthouse Writers Workshops, The Adirondack Center for Writing, Beyond Baroque, and elsewhere.

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