What happens when a phrase recurs, when language circles back on itself again and again? This lecture explores how repeated phrases and lines can add depth and meaning to writing across genres. We’ll look at examples from a range of authors (from Samuel Beckett to Shane McCrae, from Ali Smith to Gertrude Stein), and we’ll ask how refrain can become resonance. We’ll also consider how repeated phrases work in language and life more broadly: the things we say every day, the words we live by. Attendees will leave with techniques to use in generating and revising their own writing.

Zach Savich is the author of ten books of poetry, nonfiction, and works for performance. His work has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and other honors. Savich teaches at the Cleveland Institute of Art and with the PhD in Creativity at Rowan University. His work often explores how language repeats, transforms, and invites wider change.