Poetry and the City

Poet Jon Cotner uses fleeting snippets of conversation in public spaces as the basis for his poetry. Caitlin Blanchfield took a walk with Cotner to talk about his process.

1 minute read

October 18, 2011, 11:00 AM PDT

By Tim Halbur

"The practice of poetry allows me to tune into the city on a daily basis," says Cotner in this interview:

"Poetry heightens our sense of time - the fleetingness of seconds - because poetry descends to the level of the microsecond. Look, for example, at the haiku poets who attune themselves to the tiniest realities. I think the point of what I'm doing is to encourage people to do their own work, to inhabit their own lives and (...) to wake up as much as possible."

FULL STORY: As Awake As Possible: A Walk with Jon Cotner

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 in Urban Omnibus

Social / Demographics New York Public Space Poetry

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.