Poetry and Photography Taught by Professor Frances Leviston, ’24-25 Blackburn Artist-in-Residence
During the Spring '25 semester, Professor Frances Leviston, the 2024-25 Blackburn Artist-in-Residence, taught a course that combined two of her loves, "poetry" and "photography." In English 290S-4 "Poetry and Photography," Professor Leviston's students learned about the influence that these two forms can have on each other. They explored how words and photographs together can create powerful storytelling that elevates how messages are conveyed.
When asked what inspired her to teach a course of this nature, Professor Leviston shared:
"I'm a poet who took up photography four years ago, which has become a whole new creative and critical research area for me. I'm writing a site-specific book that combines documentary photography with lyric poetry and a hybrid book of essays/memoirs exploring family estrangement through photographic texts. I've found the collision of photography and poetry generative and exciting. I wanted to open that excitement to others by offering a course inviting students to shoot pictures, write poems, and think about how various artists have brought these two forms together since the 19th century. We go back as far as Julia Margaret Cameron's photographs staged in response to Tennyson's poems in the 1860s and come right up to the 2020s with Caleb Femi's photo poetry book Poor."
One of Professor Leviston's students shared that she took a course with the professor during the Fall of 2024 that enhanced her writing.
After taking Professor Leviston's Introduction to Poetry last semester, I was captivated by her approach. She fundamentally transformed my understanding of writing—from structural elements to the diverse expressions of poetry. The prospect of exploring the intersection between two seemingly distinct art forms seemed intellectually compelling, and I knew another class with her would push my creative boundaries in meaningful ways. - Caroline Gallagher, '27
In March, I had the opportunity to observe a session of Professor Leviston's "Poetry and Photography" class, and on that day the class was divided into three sessions:
- Workshopping Peers Work
- Discussion of the work of artists Graciela Iturbide and Natalie Diaz
- Photography project
That class began with two students reading a poem they had written, followed by the rest of the class sharing their thoughts on the pieces and providing constructive feedback. This peer-to-peer review concept allowed the poets to get a glimpse into how members of an audience might interpret the words they have put to paper. The poet's peers discussed what they liked about each piece, how they contextualized the work, and suggested edits.
Tonya Hu, '25, read her poem "Life Support" to the class, which was then workshopped:
"Through the workshop, I got a lot of helpful feedback from my classmates on what felt jarring or clunky and what felt more effective and compelling. One of my main takeaways was implementing more gentle transitions during time skips and setting changes. I also need to reconsider the balance between metaphors and blunt straightforward language at some points of the poem."
Following the workshopping of students' work, the class discussed some of the works of photographer Graciela Iturbide and poet Natalie Diaz. The class discussed the cultural context in these artists' work and how those elements influence how the audience read or view it. "The class discussed Iturbide's "Our Lady of the Iguanas" in depth, which mixes icons of Zapotec and Catholic culture."
For the next stage of the class the students divided up in pairs and ventured out across campus to work on their “personal iconographies.” Each student was tasked with conducting a photo shoot using items that represent them to be included in their creative portfolio of poems and photographs.
The word iconography comes from the Greek εἰκών ("image") and γράφειν ("to write" or to draw).
I tagged along with a few of the students who took advantage of the beautiful weather to shoot their iconographies in the Duke Gardens.
“I have learned so much from my classmates and Prof. Leviston. Everyone in the class has challenged me to reconsider poetic form and conventions as well as how and what to photograph. Prof. Leviston is a warlock at feedback. Somehow, she always manages to phrase feedback in a constructive and compassionate manner.” - Gaby Dunn, ‘26
In Fall 2025, Professor Leviston will teach another "Framing the World: Poetry and Photography" course and an "Intro to Poetry."
