Wildflowers Don’t Care Where They Grow: Barrelhousing with Dustin Brookshire about the Dolly Parton Poetry Workshop, Coming to the Barrelhouse Conference on 4/18/26
Let Me Say This: A Dolly Party Poetry Anthology, edited by Dustin Brookshire and Julie E. Bloemeke
It was just about the easiest and fastest conference proposal in the history of the long-running Barrelhouse conference, Conversations and Connections: Practical Advice on Writing. A Dolly Parton Poetry Workshop? At the conference hosted by the literary magazine that literally has a love of pop culture written into our DNA? Yes, please, as soon as possible! We emailed with Dustin Brookmire, who sent us that proposal and will be leading “Take Me Back: A Dolly Parton Poetry Workshop” at our upcoming conference on April 18 in DC, about the workshop what makes Dolly a particularly rich text, and what other pop icons might lend themselves to poetic pursuits.
Barrelhouse: A Dolly Parton poetry workshop! Tell us about how you came up with this idea, and a little bit about how it will work.
Dustin Brookshire: I wish I could say the idea to use Dolly Parton’s music as inspiration for poetry was mine, but that credit belongs to writer Lynn Melnick—a devoted Dolly fan and author of I’ve Had to Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton. Sometime in fall 2022, I came across a multiweek Dolly Parton poetry workshop Lynn was offering. I was immediately intrigued and wanted to try my own hand at using Dolly’s work as poetic inspiration. I had known Lynn through social media for years, been a fan of work, and she had even contributed a poem to Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology, which I co-edited. I reached out to see if she’d be interested in partnering on a generative Dolly poetry workshop. I was thrilled that she said yes! We submitted a proposal to O, Miami, and led the workshop in April 2023. I was hooked. Dolly’s catalog is truly the gift that keeps on giving, and I’ve been developing new prompts ever since. I can’t thank Lynn enough for her generosity in sharing her concept and what’s worked for her—it's also so very Dolly to share, uplift others, and lead with such grace.
Attendees can expect to learn a bit about Dolly—maybe even pick up a little Dolly knowledge that may be useful at trivia—while we listen to a mix of her well-known songs and a few deep cuts that might be new to people. From there, I’ll offer a writing prompt inspired by each song. Attendees should feel free to bring headphones if they’d like to replay songs while writing. All of the songs we’ll use are available for free on YouTube.
BH: What is it about Dolly and her catalog that make such a rich text for poetry?
DB: Dolly is one the most creative, inventive, and brilliant songwriters of all time. Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016, it should have gone to Dolly. I said what I said! The depth of her creativity and the relatability woven through her songs make them an especially rich source of poetic inspiration.
DH: I love it! No lies in that statement. Here at Barrelhouse we have always embraced pop culture. We've done special issues on Prince, David Bowie, and Anthony Bourdain (tough run of celeb deaths there for awhile) and published books called Daryll Hall is My Boyfriend (by erica lewis) and Ethan Hawke and Me (by Andrew Bertaina), so you kind of had us at "Dolly Parton." Are there any other musicians or pop icons who you think might lend themselves to this same kind of treatment?
DB: My friend Diamond and I have talked about putting together a Cher poetry anthology, but we haven’t had the time to bring it to life—yet. Maybe next year, maybe 2028. In the meantime, give us a call if you need guest editors for a Cher issue of Barrelhouse! I’d also love to curate a Parker Posey inspired anthology. I’ve been a fan ever since I saw The House of Yes, and it was such a thrill to see the tsunami of appreciation for her White Lotus appearance. And honestly, Deidre Hall—brought to life by Marlena-- could use a poetic tribute of her own. Oh! What about Jeannie as portrayed by Barbara Eden? And has anyone ever done a Wonder Woman poetry anthology? I might need to get on that!
DH: Just one last question and it's the way we end every Barrelhouse interview: what's your favorite Patrick Swayze movie
DB: Nobody puts Dustin in a corner.
Dustin Brookshire’s (he/him) debut poetry full-length, For All Of Us Faggots, is forthcoming from Iron Oaks Editions in March 2027. He is the author of five chapbooks: Repeat As Needed (Harbor Editions, 2025), Never Picked First For Playtime (Harbor Editions, 2023), Love Most Of You Too (Harbor Editions, 2021), To The One Who Raped Me (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2012), and Contoured (forthcoming from Lily Poetry), a collection of collaborative contoured villanelles written with Denise Duhamel, Beth Gylys, Kerry Trautman, and Donna Vorreyer. Dustin is co-editor of the Nautilus Silver Medal award-winning Let Me Say This: A Dolly Parton Poetry Anthology (Madville Publishing, 2023), which was also named to the 2024 “Books All Georgians Should Read” list by Georgia Center for the Book. He is the editor of the Lambda Literary Award finalist anthology When I Was Straight: A Tribute to Maureen Seaton (Harbor Editions, 2024), which received a Kirkus Reviews rating of “Get it." More at dustinbrookshire.com.
Registration for the Barrelhouse in-person writers conference, Conversations and Connections: Practical Advice on Writing, at American University in Washington DC on April 18, 2026.
With your registration you’ll get: the full day conference, including three sessions of panel discussions and craft workshops, your choice of 1 of our 4 featured books, more literary stuff from our partner presses, and 1 ticket to speed dating with editors (a 10 minute, and a 1-on-1 meeting with a literary magazine or small press editor).