Delving beneath the thin veneer of paradise will be the theme of an upcoming free poetry workshop at the Bermuda National Library.

Bermudian poet Nancy Anne Miller will lead the week-long workshop 'This Is Our Island: Poems About Bermuda' from May 12 to 16. "I hope to get poets to focus on Bermuda as subject matter on many different levels," said Ms Miller.

Each day, poetry students will follow a series of assignments. For example, Monday's theme will be 'The Land' and Tuesday's will be 'History'.

Each evening, students will workshop their poems together and discuss them.

"When I give an assignment about land or history or people, what begins to happen is the assignments overlap," said Ms Miller from her home in Connecticut.

"Someone might write a poem about history or a person, when it is really about Island history."

But Ms Miller said the assignments were loose and meant only to be an inspirational springboard. She said doing the workshop was a great way to celebrate Heritage Month.

"Bermuda is such a great place," she said. "There are so many levels to it. This is one way to bring that forward."

Students will also be given readings from the Caribbean, which share Bermuda's island perspective.

"It is similar subject matter with its vulnerability and also the loveliness of isolation," said Ms Miller. "It also explores the effect of tourism which is like a party all the time. "How do you live with that? How do you live with such beauty?"

Ms Miller said beautiful scenery can be distracting to the creative.

"There is always a creative stumbling block with living in beautiful places," she said.

"How do you get beneath the stunning beauty? It is hard to get beneath it and beyond it."

She said the reading assignments will be from Caribbean poets who are purposefully not singing about paradise.

"All the poems are questioning and revealing the multilayers of society," she said.

Reading assignments will include work from Nobel Prize for Literature winner Derek Walcott, Olive Senior, Philip Nanton and Anthony Kellman, among others.

Part of the workshop will also focus on how to get poetry published in literary magazines.

"Whether they are going to try to be published, now or in five years, they should know it is out there."

She said it is important for Bermudian poets to get themselves into the competitive arena of mainstream publishing.

"There is something about that objectivity of having an editor look at your work," she said. "It is tough to get your work into literary magazines, but if you are a writer you will find other writers to complain to about it.

"There is also something very satisfying about sharing your work with the world."

Since Bermuda stores typically do not sell literary magazines like Ploughshares or The Antioch Review, it is difficult for Bermudians to find out what literary magazines are even out there.

"Most people are attached to the Internet on some level," said Ms Miller. "I will show workshop participants how to find journals on the net."

Ms Miller said on the Internet, you can find or order sample copies and download writer's guidelines. She said some journals now accept submissions online. "It is not that predominant, but it is beginning to happen more," she said.

Ms Miller said workshops can be good, even for those who have natural talent.

"You need to submit to authorities and have them give you feedback," she said.

Ms Miller studied poetry with George Szirtes at Norwich School of Art & Design in England. She has had three collections published: 'The Sun In Three Countries', 'Hurricane Season' and 'Maiden Voyage'.

The Bermuda Arts Council helped her financially with some of her books.

Her poems have also appeared in Stand, The Dalhousie Review, The Hampton Sydney: Poetry Review, Caribbean Issue, Via and Edinburgh Review. She also has poems forthcoming this summer in The Caribbean Writer, The Fiddlehead and Journal of Caribbean Literatures.

Ms Miller is not only a poet, she is also a painter. She has a bachelor of science degree in Studio Art from Skidmore College, an master of art in Painting from Goddard College. "Painting is another way to see the world," she said. "My poems are very visual. The way I interpret the world is through my eyes. I love image metaphor because it introduces many layers immediately.

"My leads are visual. It is almost like one image metaphor rolled into the other."

Ms Miller said the poetry workshop is open to poets of all abilities and levels. The cap is eight and the workshop is currently half full.

"Libraries tend to get a variety of levels," she said. "You often get a funny mix, the beginner and the more accomplished. I am prepared for all levels."

The workshops will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bermuda National Library. To sign up, e-mail Ms Miller at mayfield230@earthlink.net or email Joanne Brangman at the Bermuda National Library at jbrangman@gov.bm.