We at Poetry Northwest –  illuminating poetry and literary cultures since 1959 – are so excited to be expanding into an exciting new platform this August by offering virtual poetry classes and workshops to support, resource, develop, nourish, connect emerging and established writers and readers in the communities we serve. As a literary journal and platform, we believe we have the power to counter systemic disinvestment in literary publishing. These virtual programs prioritize accessibility — virtual, sliding scale – localisms, equitable pay, and giving opportunities to both students and instructors historically marginalized or foreclosed out of decision-making roles in our industry. Virtual Workshop – The Lyrical Erotic: Poetry of Pleasure, Sex, and Desire with Chekwube Danladi In this six-week generative workshop, we will gather virtually on zoom to access deeper connections to our pleasure archives through the act of poetry. As we define and contextualize our experiences of the erotic, this course invites an unlocking of the erotic through intentional activations of the senses. We will rely on somatic intelligence and body memory, our own rich intuitions, …