By Helen Edwards
American poet, Carrie Etter has been a resident in England since 2001, and a reader in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. She published four collections, most recently, The Weather in Normal, and numerous chapbooks. On Saturday Carrie gave a poetry workshop and reading at Devizes Town Hall, as a fringe event of Devizes Arts Festival…..
โCarrieโs workshop was absolutely fantastic, a distilled overview of prose poetry with many examples to show the variation in style and our own time to create (with no pressure).ย Carrie was inspiring, impassioned and quick as a whip.
Her students at Bristol University are very lucky to have her as a teacher (as were her many past students from at Bath Spa University). The open mic at the end was inclusive, supportive and fun. Carrieโs final poem saw me wiping away tears; beautiful.
I wish I could write a longer review but I am doing this one-eyed with a poorly optic nerve. Iโm effervescing with words which will have to wait or be dictaphoned, when they come I now have many tips as to how to form them better.ย Thanks Carrie, your generosity is abundant – Iโve a feeling youโll get a roomfulโs worth of follow up messages. Helen.



Trending…..
The Return of The Fold Music Venue in Devizes
If your average Tuesday night in Devizes might feel like The Day The Earth Stood Still, it certainly felt this way for me yesterday; Iโฆ
Dulcet Tones Rock Back to Bassett!
You’re a teenage Tom Cruise, at least you wish you were, but stay with me on this! Your parents are away, you’re home alone withโฆ
Talk in Code Headlined Devizes Winter of Festive Ales
Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts key into the town’s majority demographic for its first annual event of the year, mature couples, with an affection for samplingโฆ
The Munster Returns to Slam-Dunk Wiltshire Council Budget!
Well, I admit, the Black Dog Crossroads has reopened with shiny new traffic lights and looks pretty groovy, as far as road junctions look groovy.โฆ
Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 Announces New Organisers and Major Event Upgrade
The Wiltshire Music Awards 2026 entered an exciting new era when Stone Circle Music Events announced was as official sponsor and organiser. Backed by theirโฆ
Live Music in Trowbridge; Still Pumping! The Sunnies, Between The Lines and Meg at The Pump
Images from KieshaFilms I confess my motivation to venture out this winter stagnated, like sludge in a drain. Akin to a hedgehog, I poked myโฆ
REVIEW โ Wakeman & Son @ The Corn Exchange, Devizes โ Saturday 21st February 2026
Yes! Wakemansโ Journey To The Centre of Devizes! by Andy Fawthrop Rumours are swirling round that D-Town is about to launch a bid to beโฆ
โChicagoโ at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, February 20th-21st 2026
by Ian Diddams images by Chris Watkins media โChicagoโ is a stand out example of the musical theatre genre โ great songs, great characters, greatโฆ
Big Ones: The Major Events in Devizes This Year
No one knows why, apparently, but fish are dying in our canal; everyone says wait for the EA report, except for the fish. A townโฆ
Devizine Steps Down From Organising Wiltshire Music Awards
After much deliberation, Devizine is to pull out of any further organisation of the Wiltshire Music Awardsโฆ.. It has not been an easy decision, andโฆ