Confessional Poetry: Masks & Mirrors with Jalen Eutsey, A&S, '18 (MFA)

Lifelong Learning Logo Confessional Poetry: Masks & Mirrors
Instructor: Jalen Eutsey, A&S, '18 (MFA)
October 20 - December 1 (6 Sessions; no class November 24)
Tuesdays, 7:00PM - 9:00PM ET
Virtual va Zoom

Brought to you by Odyssey

Course Description: In this course, we will experiment with techniques to explore the depth of our individual subjectivity, examining ourselves without losing sight of the outside world that grounds and connects us. We will consider the power of metaphor, allusion, and connotation as vehicles for expressing deeply held emotions. Funneling our most urgent concerns through the imaginative landscapes of pop culture, literature, nature, and history will allow us to reach toward emotional truth without necessarily revealing intimate details of our lives. By engaging in a variety of generative experiments (prompts), we’ll embrace the use of metaphorical masks and mirrors, inviting different voices—different “selves”—into our work.

This course is open to all levels and does not require any prior experience writing poetry. Your writing and inspiration will be guided and supplemented by writing exercises, and you’ll receive feedback from both myself (instructor) and your peers during the workshop.

We will seek inspiration from acclaimed poets such as Ross Gay, Terrance Hayes, Jaswinder Bolina, Patricia Smith, Louise Glück, Elizabeth Bishop, Francine J. Harris, Mary Ruefle, Michael Dumanis, and David Berman.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Tuition benefits are available to University faculty, staff, and retirees only. Employees of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, or the Applied Physics Laboratory should contact your institution’s Human Resources office for information about tuition remission and eligibility:

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

If a course is canceled or closed, the registrant is notified immediately, and a full refund is processed automatically unless another course is requested. Registrants who wish to withdraw from an active course must complete the online Odyssey Refund Request Form. Attach any documentation to support your request (e.g., medical documentation, family crisis documentation, etc.).

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.
No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

ABOUT Jalen Eutsey, A&S '18
Odyssey Instructor / Moser Creative Writing Series 2026

Jalen Eutsey is a writer from Miami, Florida. A recipient of the Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, his poems have appeared in Best New Poets, The Yale Review, Poetry Northwest, and The Cincinnati Review. He received his MFA in poetry from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught creative writing classes to undergraduates. While in Baltimore, he also taught creative writing workshops to young adults through the Writers in Baltimore Schools and Baltimore Youth Film Arts programs. Jalen is a contributing editor for The Hopkins Review, and his chapbook Bubble Gum Stadium was published by Button Poetry.

Event Date
Starts:
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
7:00pm EDT

Ends:
Tuesday, December 1, 2026
9:00pm EDT

Contact
Odyssey
Alumni Relations Lifelong Learning
800-JHU-JHU1 (548-5481)
odyssey@jhu.edu

Ticket Options

	General Registration	$
	Johns Hopkins University Alumni (all divisions) 50% discount. Alumni status will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree 80% discount. Status of university employment will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner 50% discount. Employment status of Spouse/Domestic Partner will be confirmed.	$

Registration Information

Select your registration type

General Registration ($300.00)

Johns Hopkins University Alumni (all divisions) ($150.00)

Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree ($60.00)

Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner ($150.00)

Salutation

First Name

Middle Initial

Last Name

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Country

Email Address

Phone Number

Type 1

Phone Number

Type 2

Affiliation

Additional Alumni School(s)

Company Name

Job Title

Make a Gift

Thank you for joining the Odyssey Program! If you're passionate about learning and want to help us continue this work, please consider a tax-deductible gift to support this program.

Please Designate My Gift to Support

Gift Amount

Payment Information

Card Number

Expiration Month & Year

Security Code

Check if the Billing Address is different from the address entered above

Billing Address Line 1

Billing Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Country

Registrant Total

Event Total

Donation Total

Total

Appeal Code

Confessional Poetry: Masks & Mirrors with Jalen Eutsey, A&S, '18 (MFA)

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.

No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

Registration Information

Make a Gift

Payment Information

Confessional Poetry: Masks & Mirrors with Jalen Eutsey, A&S, '18 (MFA)

Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.

No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

Sign In

Registration Information

Make a Gift

Payment Information

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.