March 2009: Poetic Medicine Schedule

"I attended your workshop at Omega in the summer of 1998 and I still look back to that wonderful experience with joy and awe. You helped wake me up to the richness and aliveness of poetry."

~Dave Trindle,
New Hope, Pennsylvania

"In my work with 2 cancer wellness and support organizations in Atlanta, Georgia, I have personally witnessed John Fox's healing abilities as poetry therapist, writer, and teacher for over the past nine years. We have been privileged to have John come for a visit to our facility once per year for intensive writing workshops for people affected by cancer and our clinical staff who are deeply committed to their work with individuals diagnosed with cancer."

~Carolyn Helmer, Manager,
Cancer Wellness at Piedmont Hospital,
Atlanta, GA

"John Fox does with words what the mystics do with prayer. He draws people in to

participate naturally and from their own being."

~The Reverend Channing R. Smith, Rector,
Transfiguration Episcopal Church,
Belmont, California

"Thank you for your attention to each participant this weekend as you blended teaching, passion for the craft of poetry and compassion for the heart in all beings. You bring a wonderful sense of joy and purpose to this work and its power to heal."

~Ray McGinnis
Director, Write to the Heart,Vancouver, British Columbia

"What began for me as a simple trip during the dog days of August ended in an experience of profound revelation & transformation."

~Susan Jorgenson, Burlington, CT;
former editor of Presence:
The Journal of Spiritual Director's International

"To begin building skill in the therapeutic use of poem-making I, along with many others from our staff, attended one of John's day-long workshops. Led with considerable care, we were guided to profound levels of self-intimacy capable of healing sorrows, shaping dreams and rendering our joys and aspirations."

~Margaret Baim,
Benson-Henry Mind Body Medical Institute,
Massachusetts General Hospital


"Thank you for such gifts of abundant inspiration. You are an unwavering flame in these dark times."

~ Sunny Killina,
Columbus, OH


"The generous space you create opens doors and windows for all of us to express in our own voice what is calling to be shared of the human story."

~Linda Alexander,
Bayfront Hospital,
St. Petersburg, FL


"I learned the most from you, John...You listen to poems better than anyone I've ever seen. There is something quite magical in your ability to be with a person and a poem at the same time. To let yourself recede and the other come forward. To respond with your heart first, and then your head..."

~Cortney Davis, Nurse Practitioner
Redding, CT;
author of The Body Flute and Leopold's Manuevers

"As a person who has experience working with Veterans with very serious issues for nearly 20 years, I am used to having exceptionally trusting relationships and to working deeply in therapy with an individual, but the writing allowed something more to happen. To put it into the words of one of the Veterans, 'Dr. Salamon, I don't think I could have gotten to this stuff, even if you had asked me about it directly. The writing assignments allowed it to come to the surface and allowed me to realize it.' All of the Veterans reported that the writing enabled them to access memories that they had repressed."

~Anita Salamon, Ph.D., Atlanta Vet Center

"It is good work that John Fox does, celebrating the healing properties, the tenderness, of poetry in this time of turning-away and cruelty."

~Coleman Barks,
Athens, GA

"Your sessions with us were light and deep, complex and uplifting - the food for reflection keeps unfolding."

~Nicole Hunter,
American Greetings,
Cleveland, OH

This Broken, This Blessed Earth

From the organic shed and scree of winter,
the withered leaf, the cracked cone,
wintered bones - new life emerges wet;
life alive on the edge of this broken,
this blessed earth.
This is who I am.

~ John Fox

_________

Dear Friend of the Institute for Poetic Medicine,

Heart, who will you cry out to? More and more lonely,
your path struggles on through incomprehensible
mankind. All the more futile perhaps
for keeping to its direction,
keeping on toward the future,
toward what has been lost.

~ Rainer Maria Rilke

We live in challenging and, for many, troubling times. On one hand, the (potential) loss of a job, income, home, health insurance and the uncertainty of a whole range of social supports is a reality that may scare us.

Along with that, perhaps there is illness - your own, a family member, a dear friend. There is a profound need to bring our attention to how we live sustainably on the earth. What are we going to do? To whom do we turn? These questions are why I was drawn to the poem by Rilke quoted above and named the first chapter of my book, Poetic Medicine, "Heart Who Will You Cry Out To?"

We want to be heard and seen. We want to be touched with heart. And that can be rare in this world. But not rare in the spaces created by The Institute for Poetic Medicine.

In the palm of our other hand we discover the opaque shell of the unknown is actually breaking open.   At this moment something alive and wet takes new steps, emerging with a resilience and raw tenacity both necessary and natural to life.

I believe this troubling time is also a great opportunity to discover our capacity for healing song and fresh eyes, for community and connection to what matters.

The writing experience can be a help and a grace in the midst of all this. Rilke's poem goes on to say something about a kind of surprise when grief gives way to joy:

Once. You lamented? What was it? A fallen berry
of jubilation, unripe.
But now the whole tree of my jubilation
is breaking, in the storm it is breaking, my slow
tree of joy.
Loveliest in my invisible
landscape, you that made me more known
to the invisible angels.

          ~ translated by Joanna Macy & Anita Barrows
             (from the Book of Hours)

It is this creative voice within us speaking to the invisible, the first green edges of our "tree of joy" that enlivens us like Spring does and draws upon the "better angels of our nature" so needed at this transformational time.

We know this: fear paralyses. Hope activates. By considering a workshop with me and the Institute for Poetic Medicine, by telling others about them, you are choosing to energize hope.

It would be a pleasure to see you along the way and to support you in poem-making.

Kind regards,

John Fox, CPT

MARCH 20 - 22, 2009

Offered by John Fox, CPT
at Center for Urban Spirituality
Portland, OR

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making

Dates:
March 20, 21, 22, 2009
Friday (3/20):         7:00-9:00PM
Saturday (3/21): 10:00AM-5:00PM
Sunday (3/22):      9:30AM-12:30PM

Fee:
Friday: $20.00 (Friday evening is open to all)
Saturday & Sunday: $200.00
(Registration necessary; limited to 18 participants).

Location:
Center for Urban Spirituality
1314 NW Irving #512
Portland, OR 97209

For More Information and to Register:
Contact Marna Hauck at:
(503) 771-0711
deeperharmony@gmail.com

Poetry is a natural medicine
that extends solace and relief,
gives a cathartic voice to suffering,
reveals insight and shows us
what it means to be human.

~John Fox

This workshop offers a safe, supportive environment for writing poems that reveal feelings, distill meaning, shore up your ability to respond to difficulties with integrity and courage.

Poetry guides us toward insight, integration and healing. Participants will experiment with the poetic elements of metaphor, sound, rhythm, imagery and symbol.

Topics Include:

- Healing applications of poetry as healer
- How playfulness is a key to creativity
- The art of listening as a catalyst to the creative
process
- Gathering poetic tools
- Speaking your truth, speaking your heart
- The joy of simple things

We will look at the how a nonjudgmental, curious approach to poetry and writing helps to: heal wounds, strengthen your health, enjoy each moment, build community and tune to your spirit.

Appropriate for beginning and experienced writers. This workshop provides helping & healthcare professionals with self-care tools and applicable techniques for their practice.

Wherever I can find a place

to sit down and write,
that is my home.

~ Mary TallMountain

CLICK BELOW:
For More Information About The Center for Urban Spirituality

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer About This Event

MARCH 26 - 27, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Century Community & Technical College
White Bear Lake, MN

EDGES, RISKS AND CONNECTIONS & POETRY, COMMUNITY AND THE FLOURISHING HEART
Two Programs for the Century Community

Dates:
March 26, 27, 2009
Thursday & Friday, All Day

Location:
Century Community & Technical College
3300 Century Avenue North
White Bear Lake, MN

Serving the Century College administration and student leadership, as well as the general college community of staff, faculty and students. John is a guest of Professor Randy Fane and the President of the college, Dr. Larry Litecky.

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Century Community & Technical College

MARCH 28 - 29, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Macalester College
St. Paul, MN

THE JOURNEY
OF THE POET:
Following Your Thread,
Breaking Your Silence

Dates:
March 28, 29, 2009
Saturday (3/28): 10:00AM-5:00PM
Sunday (3/29): 10:00AM-5:00PM

Location:
Macalester College
1600 Grand Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105

Fee:
$155.00 (Scholarships Available if Needed)

Contact:
· Tania Kowalenko at: takova@live.com
· Tom Hubler at: (612) 375-0640 or
tomh@thehublergroup.com

Every real poem is the breaking of existing silence,
and the first question we might ask any poem is,
What kind of voice is breaking silence,
and what kind of silence is being broken?

~ Adrienne Rich

There's a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change.

~ William Stafford

This workshop will bring attention to staying in touch with that place in you that is steady and true; as well as expressing the unique and creative voice of the poet within you.

There are holy silences, those moments where deep listening opens the heart and enriches community; and there are oppressive silences, when what is true and just is squashed or ignored.

The poet in you is in touch with both of these silences. We know society can ignore this powerful voice within us but all too often it is ourselves who ignore it! It is our intention to help you break through any oppressive silence and savor silences that empower and honor your creative voice.

APRIL 8, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA

POETRY THERAPY:
Reclamation of Deep Language

Date:
April 8, 2009
Wednesday: 4:00-6:45PM

John is a guest of Dr. Andrew Hughey and the Department of Counseling Education.

Note: This program is for San Jose State students

Location:
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA

APRIL 9, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Stanford University Medical School
Stanford, CA

POETRY AND CARING:
Healing the Within

Date:
April 9, 2009
Thursday: 2:15-3:15PM

John is a guest of Stanford Center for Bio Medical Ethics and Dr. Larry Zaroff and his class The Human Condition.

Note: This program is for Stanford Medical students

Location:
Stanford University Medical School
300 Pasteur Dr.
Standford, CA 94305

APRIL 15, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Loma Linda University
School of Medicine
Loma Linda, CA

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making

Date:
April 15, 2009
Wednesday Lecture: 12:00-1:00PM   (Open to Public)
Wednesday Workshop: 2:00-3:30PM (Loma Linda participants only)

John is a guest of the School of Religion Humanities Program and Dr. Ramona L. Hyman.

Location:
Loma Linda University
11234 Anderson St.
Loma Linda, California

For More Information:
Please contact Dr. Ramona Hyman at:
Phone:   (909) 651-5097
E-mail:    rhyman@llu.edu

APRIL 17, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
East West Bookstore
Mountain View, CA

HEALING WORDS:
Poetry & Medicine

A screening of the PBS documentary, hosted by
John Fox, C.P.T.

Date: April 17, 2009
Friday, 7:30PM

Location:
East West Bookshop
324 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA

This event is FREE - but please RSVP with East West Bookshop at (650) 988-9800 as seating is limited!

Healing Words is a poignant and powerful documentary about the uses of poetry and the other expressive arts at a large teaching hospital in Florida. These days when Americans have grown cynical about health care costs, impersonal treatment, and the intrusion of corporate self-interest in the doctor-patient relationship, Healing Words reminds us of the best medicine can offer: a doctor at the bedside, really listening to a patient. Dr. John Graham-Pole and poetry therapist John Fox enter hospital rooms and help patients write poems as part of their healing process. Viewers will be touched by the ways in which poetry builds compassion between doctor and patient. In answer to the question, Can poetry heal? This documentary gives a resounding Yes!

Producers: Joan Baranow, James Cavenaugh, Victoria Chaban, David Watts, MD
Narration: Peter Coyote
Directors: James Cavenaugh, David Drewry
Original Music Score: Noa Winter Lazerus
Running Time: 56:46

Reviews of Healing Words: Poetry & Medicine:

"Perhaps because I am a doctor myself, I feared from the title that the film would be maudlin, saccharine, or depressing. It is none of these things. Instead, this is a thoughtful, moving, and powerful examination of the efforts of several doctors to re-infuse emotional connection and healing into the technology-dominated enterprise of giving medical care to sick and dying people. I thought about it for days afterward, weeks -- heck, I'm still thinking about it. I encourage anybody who is a doctor or a patient or anyone who may one day become a patient, to watch this extraordinary film."

~Thomas Lewis, M.D.
co-author of A General Theory of Love

CLICK BELOW:

To View A Trailer of the Film

CLICK BELOW:
To Purchase the "Healing Words" Film From Amazon

CLICK BELOW:
To Visit East West Bookstore's Calendar

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer For This Event

MAY 1 - 3, 2009
Offered With John Fox, CPT & Others
The Chapparel Poets Convention
Modesto, CA

HOPE: Healing Words, Poetic Medicine

Featuring Workshops, Contests,
Readings & Community

with Keynote & Workshop by John Fox, CPT
Underwritten by
Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center

Date:
May 1 - 3, 2009
Friday (5/1):
2:00 p.m. - Registration Begins
(See Website Link Below)
Saturday (5/2):
9:00 a.m. - Workshops Begin
5:00 p.m. - John's Keynote w/Q &A
Sunday (5/3):
12:30 p.m. - John's Workshop at State Theater
3:30 p.m. - Panel with other workshop presenters

Location:
DoubleTree Hotel
1150 Ninth Street
Modesto, CA 95350

John's Workshop Location:
State Theater
1307 J Street
Modesto, CA

Fee: $35.00 for convention programs

Note: 3 free CEU's are available through Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center for attending John's program. See website below for more details.

CLICK BELOW:
Conventions of the California Federation of Chaparral Poets, Inc.

MAY 14 - 16, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts
Washington, D.C.

FINDING THE WORDS TO SAY IT
with The Healing Art of Poetry
and Other Programs

Sponsored By
Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts

Dates: May 14-16, 2009
             (Please see specific date, workshop and
              location information below)

Location:
Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts
1632 U St NW
Washington DC 20009

To Register & For Information on Thursday and Friday Programs, Please Contact Darien at:
Phone:   202-483-8600
E-mail:   heal@SmithFarm.com

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts

~ SCHEDULE ~

Thursday, May 14th:
-9:30AM-2:00PM
Washington Cancer Institute - Patients & Staff
Howard University Cancer Center

-5:20-8:00PM
"Finding Words to Say It: The Healing Art of Poetry"
The Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery
Lecture/Mini-workshop/Q & A - Open to the Public
(CECs offered)

Friday, May 15th
-10:00AM-3:00PM
"The Healing Art of Poem-Making"
Smith Farm Center Workshop - Open to the Public
(CECs offered)

Saturday, May 16th
-10:00AM-3:00PM
Alumni Day & Writing Workshop
(Note: This event is for Smith Farm Alumni only)

Experience for yourself the power to heal through your own words. What do you want to say about your life and your cancer experience? What is it like for you to be deeply listened to? John Fox will show how your own words can deepen feeling and understanding, provide comfort and bring relief to life's traumas.

Poem-making can express the language of your heart. This workshop is designed to evoke your unique and healing soul voice. There is no one else who can express your experience of living life and coping with cancer, of fighting for your health and celebrating what matters to you.

Drawing from a splendid range of sources, we will experiment with poetic elements of metaphor, sound, rhythm, imagery, and symbol as remedies to become more whole and live with greater heart.

If you are new to writing, John creates a safe environment to explore this empowering process of self-expression. If you have attended workshops with him in the past, this program will offer time to write and share in community. No prior experience necessary.

MAY 17, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Bethesda, MD
Atl WC

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making

This program is offered with appreciation for the important work of The Lloyd Symington Foundation.

Date:
May 17, 2009
Sunday: 10:00AM-2:00PM

Location:
Bethesda, Maryland, in a private home

Fee: $50.00
Please Make Checks Payable To:
The Institute for Poetic Medicine

Note: Registration is limited to 12 people. When registering, information on location will be provided. Please bring a brown bag lunch. Refreshments will be provided.

For More Information and To Register:
Please contact Marion Werner at:
Phone: 202-966-5717
E-Mail: marionwerner@yahoo.com

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer About This Event

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About The Lloyd Symington Foundation

MAY 18-19, 2009
Offered By John Fox, CPT
Piedmont Hospital - Cancer Wellness Center
Atlanta, GA

FINDING THE WORDS TO SAY IT
With The Healing Art of Poetry

Date: May 18-19, 2009
(See Specific Schedule Below)

Location:
Piedmont Hospital - Cancer Wellness at Piedmont
The Cancer Center
Piedmont West Medical Office Park
1800 Howell Mill Rd., Suite 700
Atlanta, Georgia 30318

To Register & For More Information, Contact:
(404) 605-1962

Note: All programs are Free

Nationally acclaimed, John Fox returns for another poetic medicine workshop for those touched by cancer. John's dynamic workshops offer a place to express your self within the container of a poem. John is a poet and certified poetry therapist. You are invited to attend more than one session. Please call to register.

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Piedmont Hospital Cancer Wellness Program

~ SCHEDULE ~

Monday, May 18:

10:30AM-12:00PM
Introductory Poetry Writing Experience

12:00-1:00PM
Lunch in the Wellness Cafe

1:00-3:30PM
Intensive Poetry Writing Experience

Tuesday, May 19:

10:00-11:30AM
Screening of the PBS film: Healing Words: Poetry & Medicine followed by a conversation about the value of arts in the healing process

Note: We will telecast to our hospital south,
Piedmont Fayette

12:00-1:00PM
Writing for Cancer Care Professionals

Note: Lunch will be provided

4:00-6:00PM
Poetry Reading by Participants from the Whole Program

MAY 21-22; 26, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
The Gathering Place (East & West)
Cleveland & Westlake, OH

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of
Poem-Making

Dates:

May 21-22, 2009 (Gathering Place East)
Thursday (5/21): 6:30-8:30PM
Friday (5/22):       1:00-4:00PM

May 26, 2009      (Gathering Place West)
Tuesday (5/26):    6:30-9:00PM

Note: Pre-registration is required;
Please call (216) 595-9546

Locations:

●The Gathering Place East
23300 Commerce Park
Cleveland, Ohio 44122
(216) 595-9546

●The Gathering Place West
800 Sharon Drive
Westlake, Ohio 44145
(216) 595-9546

Nationally acclaimed, John Fox returns for another poetic medicine workshop for those touched by cancer. John's dynamic workshops offer a place to express yourself within the container of a poem. John is a poet and certified poetry therapist. You are invited to attend more than one session. Advance registration is required.

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Gathering Place

May 23, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Shaker Heights, OH

THE JOURNEY OF THE POET:
Following Your Thread
Breaking Your Silence

~ A Writing Workshop ~

Dates:
May 23, 2009
Saturday: 10:00AM-5:00PM

Location:
At a private home in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Fee: $60.00
Please Make Checks Payable To:
The Institute for Poetic Medicine

Note: Registration is limited to 12 people. When registering, information on location will be provided.

For Information & To Register, Please Contact:
John Fox
(650) 938-2717
john@poeticmedicine.org

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer For This Event

MAY 27, 2009
Offered with John Fox, CPT; Jack Shierloh
& Annie Holden
2100 Lakeside Shelter for Men
Cleveland, OH

POETRY WRITING PROGRAMS

Offered with Jack Shierloh and Annie Holden

Date:
May 27, 2009
Wednesday: All Day

Location:
2100 Lakeside Shelter for Men
2100 Lakeside
Cleveland, Ohio

Note: This program is for residents of the shelter.

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About 2100 Lakeside Shelter

CLICK BELOW:
To Visit The Institute for Poetic Medicine's Archive Page and Select the December '08 Newsletter to Read More About 2100 Lakeside Shelter

MAY 29-31, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Dept. of Arts & Consciousness
John F. Kennedy University
Berkeley, CA

POETRY & HEALING: OPEN STUDIO PRACTICE

Dates:
May 29-31, 2009
Friday (5/29):       6:00PM-10:00PM
Saturday (5/30): 10:00AM-6:30PM
Sunday (5/31):    10:00AM-6:30PM

Location:
John F. Kennedy University
Graduate School of Holistic Studies
The Department of Arts & Consciousness
2956 San Pablo Ave., Second Floor
Berkeley, California 94702

Note: These classes are open to the public for a fee.

For More Information & To Register, Contact:
Caroline Lovell
Phone: JFK Admissions: (925) 969-3429
Email:   clovell@jfku.edu

Please refer to these Courses #'s:
Undergraduate:   A & C 4675
Graduate:            A & C 5690

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About JFK's Dept. of Arts & Consciousness

JUNE 9, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Reno, NV

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making

~ A Writing Workshop ~

Date:
June 9, 2009
Tuesday: 1:00PM - 5:00PM

Location:
At a private home in Reno, Nevada

Fee: $50.00
Please Make Checks Payable To:
The Institute for Poetic Medicine

Note: Registration is limited to 12 people. When registering, information on location will be provided.

For More Information:
Please Contact Kathy Jakolat at:
Phone: (775) 828-0509
E-Mail: kathyjakolat@att.net

CLICK BELOW:
To Download A Flyer of this Event

JUNE 16, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Art From Ashes
Denver, CO

FINDING THE WORDS
TO SAY IT

~ A Program for Art From Ashes ~

Date:
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Location:
Art from Ashes, Inc.
853 Inca Street, Suite 1A
Denver, Colorado 80204

Note: This is a workshop for those involved with Art
           From the Ashes.

The Mission of Art from Ashes is to empower struggling youth through poetry and other therapeutic workshops that facilitate expression, connection and transformation.

"Recent statistics of our work with youth conducted by the National Research Center have shown that of the participants surveyed, 100% of the youth enjoyed the workshops; 73% feel better about themselves; 80% cared more about the feelings of others; and 80% wanted to be more involved in their community."

         ~ Catherine O'Neill Thorn, Executive Director

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Art From Ashes

JUNE 22, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT
Unity Church in the Rockies
Colorado Springs, CO

POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making

A Writing Workshop
and Film Screening of Healing Words: Poetry & Medicine

Date:
June 22, 2009
Monday:
1:00-5:00PM (Workshop Fee: $65)
5:00-6:30PM (Dinner served on location; included in
workshop fee)
6:30-8:00PM (Film is Free)

Location:
Unity Church in the Rockies
1945 Mesa Road
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904

For More Information and To Register:
Please contact Constance Davis at:
Phone: (719) 380-7854
E-Mail: C77Daybreak@AOL.com

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer for This Event

JUNE 24, 2009
Offered by John Fox, CPT and Ablie Clemmer
Nativo Lodge
Albuquerque, NM

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS

~ A Writing Workshop ~

Date:
June 24, 2009
Wednesday: 10:00AM-4:00PM

Location:
Nativo Lodge
6000 Pan American Fwy NE
Albuquerque, NM 87109
(505) 798-4300

Fee: $70.00
Please Make Checks Payable To:
The Institute for Poetic Medicine

For Information & To Register, Please Contact:
Albie Clemmer at:
Phone: (505) 503-1560
Email: wildgeese7@gmail.com

Note: Registration is limited to 15 people

Earth and poetry both offer us poweful images and metaphors with which to tell our stories. Rather than thinking of the earth's resources as commodities like oil and wood, poetry suggests we consider the more intangible qualities which nature offers us, such as beauty and spectacle, turmoil and order, mystery and predictability.

A sense of beauty - wild and terrible or lovely and breathtaking - can be more healing to us than psychology currently acknowledges.

The stories of the earth - and our personal stories - are interwoven, constantly changing in the cyclic process of birth, growth and death. A language for expressing these deep changes in your life can be found by tuning to the language of the earth and the creative voice within yourself.

Join John and Albie for the day to explore this mystery. They will help you reveal your unique voice and imagination. This healing relationship will help you create beauty, delight and meaning in your life.

About Albie Clemmer:
The powerful language of metaphor in both nature and poetry has inspired poet and educator Albie Clemmer to blend both while teaching English and Humanities in the United States, Iceland and Japan. Observing the powerful impact of organic wilderness experiences on her students' writing and self-awareness, Albie concluded that the metaphorical reflections provided by nature inspired dormant creativity, articulated unspoken emotion, and produced imaginative imagery. While in Iceland, with the spectacular landscape for her classroom, Albie completed a master's degree in Applied Ecopsychology. An advocate for the environment and animals, and an artist and teacher of twenty-five years, Albie currently lives and teaches in New Mexico where she is completing a book of poetry.

CLICK BELOW:
To Visit the Nativo Lodge Website

CLICK BELOW:
To Download a Flyer For This Event

AUGUST 24-31, 2009
Offered with John Fox, CPT; Lisa Devuono;
Jon & Lupita McClanahan
Canyon de Chelly, AZ

THE NATURE OF POETRY
At Canyon de Chelly

Dates:
August 24-31, 2009
(A 7 day retreat with space for 15 registrants)

Location:
Canyon de Chelly, AZ

Fee: $1,150.00

This writing workshop is a rare opportunity for non-Native people to be welcomed for a long period of time into this sacred place. We will stay with Diné (Navajo) who honor the four elements and directions on a daily basis. The wisdom stories of the Diné originate in and around the stunning beauty of Canyon de Chelly. Our hosts, Jon and Lupita, will share these stories and their ways of life during the day and around the campfire in the evening.

For More Information & To Register:
Please contact John Fox at:
Phone: (650) 938-2717
E-mail: john@poeticmedicine.org

To Learn More About Our Diné Hosts, Jon & Lupita McClanahan, CLICK BELOW:
FOOTPATH JOURNEYS OF CANYON DE CHELLY

Above Photo Courtesy of Tad Gielow. To View Tad's Previous Group Photos from The Nature of Poetry, CLICK BELOW:
TAD GIELOW PHOTOGRAPHY

SEPTEMBER 4 - 7, 2009
Offered with John Fox, CPT
and A Diverse Group of Keynote Presenters

Transformative Language Arts Network
Goddard College
Plainfield, VT

THE POWER OF WORDS
Liberation, Transformation & Celebration
Through the Spoken, Written & Sung Word

Dates:
September 4 - 7, 2009

Location:
Goddard College
123 Pitkin Rd.
Plainfield, VT

Fee: Visit Website Link Below for More Information

John will present with a diverse group of keynote presenters. Explore how we can use our words - written, spoken or sung - to make community, deepen healing, witness one another, wake ourselv es up, and foster empowerment and transformation. Organized by the Transformative Language Network, and founded by Goddard College, this conference features experiential workshops on a wide range of the expressive language arts and right livelihood, performances, open readings, and celebrations. Make community with others who share your passion.

Keynoters Include:

Kayhan Irani - Performer of the Theatre of the Oppressed and creator of Artivista, an organization that combines art and activism as a form of political expression and engagement

John Fox - Poet, author, poetry therapist, and founder of The Institute for Poetic Medicine; author of Poetic Medicine and Finding What You Didn't Lose.

Lewis Mehl Medrona - Author of Coyote Medicine, Native American physician and psychiatrist and professor of family psychiatry who calls himself a post-modern, semi-urban neo-shaman.

Dovie Thomason - Award-winning Native American storyteller, recording artist and author

Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg - Founder of Transformative Languages Arts, and award-winning author of several books including Write Where You Are and Lot's Wife, who will be debuting her memoir, The Sky Begins at Your Feet.

Sherry Reiter - Poetry therapy pioneer and drama therapist presenting a workshop on the possibilities inherent in poetry therapy.

Callid Keefe & Kristina Perry - Facilitators-in-residence and writers on Theopoetics and the Quaker meeting tradition.

Terry Hauptman - Artist-in-residence, painter and poet, and author of On Hearing Thunder; Rattle; and Masquerading in Clover.

CLICK BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TLA:
Transformative Language Arts Network

CLICK BELOW TO REGISTER:
Conference Registration

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Offered by John Fox, CPT & Sally Z. Hare, PhD
Sea View Inn
Pawley's Island, South Carolina

FINDING WHAT YOU DIDN'T LOSE:
Reclaiming Your Hidden Wholeness
Through the Healing Power of Writing

Dates:
October 30 - November 1
Friday: Begins 5:00PM
Sunday: Ends with Lunch

Location:
Sea View Inn
Pawley's Island, South Carolina

Registration Fee:
Before September 1: $799
After September 1:     $889
Note: The fee is all-inclusive; covering workshop fees,
           lodging, and meals.

FLYER/REGISTRATION AVAILABLE BY CLICKING HERE:   Pawley Island Registration

Note: Space is limited to 22 participants and
           typically fills well before deadline!

Dr. Sally Z. Hare:
Phone:   (843) 238-9291
Email:    sally@coastal.edu

John Fox, CPT:
Phone:   (650) 938-2717
Email:    john@poeticmedicine.org

In this unique 3-day retreat, poet John Fox and teacher Sally Z. Hare come together to explore the intersection of their work. They invite you to experience a circle of trust, grounded in Sally's many years of working with Parker J. Palmer's formation theory, and the healing power of writing, based in John's own work in poetry therapy.

The safe space of this retreat offers you the opportunity to glimpse your own hidden wholeness, to rejoin soul and role, to reconnect who you are with what you do. This is a creative endeavor that asks us to reclaim our deep voice and express what matters to us; or in the words of John Fox's poetic medicine, to awaken soulfulness in the human voice.

This circle of trust retreat is for persons from diverse professions: education, health care, psychology, law, philanthropy, religious/spiritual life, and nonprofit and community organizations. In this retreat the skilled facilitators will help create a quiet, focused, respectful space, in which the noise within us and around us can subside, and we can meet stillness. In large group, small group, and solitary settings, we will explore the intersection of our personal and professional lives, making use of stories from our own journeys, as well as insights from poets, storytellers, various wisdom traditions - and inviting our own writing and poetry to emerge.

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About Sally Z. Hare, PhD

CLICK BELOW:
To Learn More About the Sea View Inn

It is my pleasure to work with John Fox to design these newsletters for you! Interested in how I might assist you with your own Constant Contact communications?

Please Feel Free to Contact Me:
Melissa Layer
lissalayer@yahoo.com
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