Associate Fellow at the Attic Institute of Arts and Letters
John Morrison's book, Heaven of the Moment, won the Rhea & Seymour Gorsline Poetry Competition and was a finalist for the 2008 Oregon Book Award in poetry. He received his MFA from the University of Alabama. John's poetry has appeared in numerous national journals including the Cimarron Review, Poet Lore, Poetry East, and the Southern Poetry Review. A former Attic Institute Studio for Writers participant, John has taught poetry for the University of Alabama, Washington State University, and in the Literary Arts Writers in the Schools program where he served as director from 2006-2009. His new book of poetry, Monkey Island, is due out from redbat books in 2020.
WHY I LIKE TO TEACH AT THE ATTIC INSTITUTE: "What makes teaching at the Attic special has an easy answer: the writers who are curious enough to climb the stairs and join a class or workshop. Whether novice or master — and I’ve had both in the same class — everyone shares a dedication to poetry and, very quickly and deeply, to each other. Often their talent brings them to the Attic. They know they can write. They’ve seen flashes of brilliance in their metaphors, images, and in the music of their lines. Now they want to know what to do to weather the challenges and risks and write at their potential. So the workshops are always home to energetic discussions of craft and of fresh, sharp poetry (who doesn’t love that?), and home to writers poised to explore and develop a practice that can sustain their artistic life and lift their poetry to its potential. These writers are what make the Attic so special to me: they inspire me to teach my best and encourage me to write my best."