Have you ever found yourself having more fun talking over a movie than watching it? Anyone who has put words into the mouths of characters on screen will find this workshop to be fun and motivating. Movietelling is a new cross-genre form of poetry, inspired by the silent film era “benshi” tradition of Japan. Movietellers write poems to be read while a muted film clip plays. Led by the Athenaeum’s Writing Program Committee director, Shari Caplan, workshop participants will learn about where this form came from, will see examples of it as it is used today, and will work on creating their own movietelling pieces. Participants must bring their own device with which to watch a film clip for the writing portion of this workshop (a tablet, laptop, or smart phone would be suitable).