What happens when the archive is incomplete? This workshop explores poetry to engage with gaps, silences, and traces in the historical record. Working with a selection of Wende Museum archival photographs, we’ll experiment with poetry’s potential to imagine perspectives and possibilities beyond the frame.

Alternative Queer Poetics is one part of a three-part workshop series, Queering the Archive, that invites participants to explore the queer past through hands-on creative practices of mapping, poetry, and collage. Each two-hour session begins with a brief introduction to the day’s method, followed by time to experiment with materials and ideas. We’ll conclude each workshop with an opportunity to share reflections and discuss our work together.

Please note that attendance at every workshop is not required. Each session is designed to stand on its own, and participants are welcome to attend any or all of the workshops.