courses & workshops
For more than fifteen years, I have taught literature, creative writing, and critical reading in university classrooms, honors programs, and private educational settings. My courses are designed for readers and writers seeking rigorous, accessible, and intellectually engaging encounters with literature and the creative process.
Whether you are an experienced writer, a devoted reader, or simply curious about poetry and language, these offerings invite participants to slow down, pay attention, and engage deeply with art and ideas.
current offerings
The Reverie Literary Salon
Reverie Petit Café | Lake Bluff, Illinois
A six-week literary gathering for readers, writers, and curious minds.
Held in the garden at Reverie Petit Café, each one-hour session combines a brief seminar on a literary topic, discussion of selected readings, and a guided writing exercise inspired by the day’s theme.
Details
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Tuesdays, August 18–September 22
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10:30–11:30 a.m.
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Limited to eight participants
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One complimentary coffee beverage included
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Open to participants of all experience levels
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Attend one session or join us for all six—each gathering stands on its own
Topics Include
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Image & Sensory Detail
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How Poems Think
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Repetition & Obsession
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The Lyric “I”
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Time & Memory
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The Grotesque Imagination
about the instructor
Elisa Karbin, PhD, is a poet, educator, and former university professor. She holds a doctorate in Creative Writing from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and has taught literature and creative writing at Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, and Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development.
Her poems have appeared in journals including Poet Lore, Blackbird, The Journal, Indiana Review, and Gettysburg Review. She is the author of the poetry chapbook, Snare.
As an educator, she believes that literature offers a way of paying closer attention to the world and to one another. Her teaching emphasizes curiosity, close reading, and the idea that meaningful encounters with poetry are possible for readers and writers of all backgrounds and experience levels.
