JACOB BUDENZ—MERGING WORLDS: TAROT AS EKPHRASIS FOR CREATIVE AND REFLECTIVE WRITING

Although ekphrasis is most commonly posited as a poetic tool—poetry responding to visual art—the practice of ekphrasis at its heart is a merging of worlds in which an artist of any medium interprets a work in a different medium. Likewise, a Tarot reader interprets imagery and symbolism through the medium of speech, applying old archetypes and images to unique new problems or questions. In this generative workshop, author and multi-disciplinary performer Jacob Budenz will give a primer on Tarot and discuss its uses as an ekphrastic writing tool. Participants will pull a Tarot card and do their own freewrites, followed by discussion and reflection.