A free, weekly generative workshop. Come in with no writing, read about Narrow Road to the Interior by Matsuo Bashō, write for 15 minutes, then share what you wrote.

We will read each station in the travelogue sequentially, using three separate translations, and a short craft lesson. None of the material we read in class is reproduced digitally to comply with American copyright law.

Compare this to a 100 level Gen Ed writing course at a college.

Yes. Fish learned to teach in a therapeutic context. She designed this workshop to be “podcastable” and dinner friendly. She has a hard time with food herself.

Please turn your camera and mic off if you are not attending with you full attention. However, if you choose to share the writing we do in class, there is no need to turn your camera on. You can also use the Zoom text function, and the B.H.L.M facilitator will read it out loud for the rest of the workshop.

One quote from a relevant writer or Interfaith public figure.

One station from Narrow Road to the Interior, across three translations.

One linking technique from Jane Reichhold’s “Basho: The Complete Haiku” in sequential order. This constitutes fair use as the instructor will elaborate on the paragraph.

Three writing prompts: metric poetry, memoir, and haibun.

Fish hopes for 14-25 writers per workshop by August, 2025, allowing 31 emails on each sign up sheet.

We offer a verified Venmo at this time for tips, or in Buddhist terms, Dana, Right Livelyhood. No lower than 5 dollars or more than 15 dollars for one hour of poetry.

Fish has been paid an honorarium of 100 dollars per hour of teaching, no travel, since 2022. This is her “market rate,” for an hour of poetry.