BALTIMORE ZIP ODES: POETIC VIDEOS OF PLACE
Ages 16-29
Summer 2023, Online
Thank you O, Miami and WRLN for inspiring us! In this videography workshop, student fellows will create written and visual odes to their neighborhoods, based in the poetic form created by O, Miami for National Poetry Month. In the Zip Ode, the digits of the writer’s zip code determine the number of words per line, so 21217 would shape a poem with a 2-word line, then a 1-word line, then a 2-word line, and so on. A zero is considered a “wild card,” and allows for as many words as the poet wants. Fellows will write several odes, based on their own zip codes, and possibly on zip codes where they’ve lived in the past or where family members live. Poems might dwell in the specifics of place, from public features like shops, parks, churches, and neighborhood personalities; and also in private features, an apartment or house, personal memories of events, traditions, family members, friends. In group discussion, fellows will read Zip Odes written by Floridians and others (samples), considering what makes strong poetry, and how to effectively communicate personal observations and feelings. And they’ll build on their poems with still and moving images, representations of and reflections on the worlds they evoke in their writing. Ultimately, each will create a poetic video based in their own zip code, their own home turf. Their work will be shared at a public exhibition and on the program website. Limited to 9 student fellows.
Vonnya Pettigrew is CEO of Root Branch Media Group. A writer and filmmaker, she has produced content for a wide range of clients, including the Discovery Channel, Disney, and Starz.
Murtaza Hathiyari is pursuing a graduate degree in robotics at Johns Hopkins. An experimentalist who believes in the power of expression, he is certain everything has an intriguing story behind it to dig into.
Rex (Youjian) Xiao is a student at Johns Hopkins University majoring in film studies and writing. He uses storytelling to explore himself, the people around him, and the world.
