|
January 14, 2010
Dear Friend of The Institute for Poetic Medicine,
We are aware, as we prepare to send this Constant Contact about my schedule, of the
earthquake devastation in the country of Haiti.
My thoughts and
prayers immediately went to my friend Dr. Diane Allerdyce, Chief Academic Officer for a remarkable charter school, Toussaint L'Ouverture High School for Art and Social Justice that serves the Haitian communities of Delray and Boynton Beach in Florida.
Please read past my letter here to learn more about this school, her
students and how you may support their response to the tragedy in Haiti.
(There are inspiring links including an NPR broadcast of poems written by Toussaint students.)
While our eyes are on Haiti now, when the news lessens, how can we
continue to pitch in to help others in need? How can we draw closer to
one another and be more cooperative on this small planet?
We may pray for solace and aide to touch Haitian people experiencing
trauma and grief. May our prayer remind us of our own fragility and
the great difference made by a simple gesture of support. We will be
moved by acts of courage in the face of tragedy. Let us allow
courageous acts to inspire and motivate the choices we make.
May all this stir in us a daily question: how shall I live?
Whatever challenges you face or goals you set for yourself in 2010, I
believe you possess the resilience and creative spark necessary to keep
stepping forward. If some unknown is large before you, may your depth
and courage help you honor silence and the grace to pause and wait, for
guidance, for rest. It is in that pause, in that rest place, where you
might listen for a poem that is yours.
This silent pause, this listening space, is what holds our words. We,
and those people we may be blessed to work with, can speak and listen
to this heart language to foster truth-saying, release, insight,
remembrance and renewal.
This Constant Contact contains my current schedule for 2010! I will offer programs in Tucson, AZ; Auburn, CA; Canyon de Chelly, AZ; Bowen Island near Vancouver, Canada and a co-led retreat with Sally Hare in the San Francisco Bay area. I'll also participate on the faculty with David Watts, Rachel Naomi Remen and Jane Hirshfield at The Healing Art of Writing conference at Dominican College in San Rafael, CA.
Look for future schedule updates on my web site. If you are interested
in bringing "poetic medicine" to where you live, let us know. We can
work with you to make this happen!
I believe the essence of community and poem-making is this: that each
one of us brings something irreplaceable to life's circle. Your
irreplaceable nature and voice is what makes the whole sacred. The
expressive arts have a knack for teaching us about the sacredness of
the person, the value of receptivity and a deep sense of community.
Let's travel this journey with that kind of sensibility in our hearts. I hope to meet you along the way.
Sincerely,
John Fox for The Institute for Poetic Medicine
_________________
Which memory compelled the poet
to write her first poem?
Which poem compelled the poet
to remember her first memory?
Which memory broke into words without effort?
~ Emily Warn
from The Word Between the World and God
|
TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE HIGH SCHOOL for Arts & Social Justice
Boynton Beach, Florida(See Inspiring Links Below About the School and Its Students!)
Dr. Diane Allerdyce is a dear friend I met in 1996 when she attended a poetic
medicine workshop I facilitated at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. Following that experience, Diane
trained in poetry therapy and more recently served as President of the National Association for Poetry Therapy. We have worked closely on various projects. At Diane's invitation, I have twice enjoyed working with the wonderful students at Toussaint L'Ouverture.
Despite tremendous challenges, Diane (formerly an English Professor at Lynn University) has done a courageous job in founding this charter high school
for art and social justice. She and her co-founder, Joseph Bernadel (a native
Haitian), are selflessly dedicated to education for the most disadvantaged and marginalized, and in the words of their mission
statement, desire that their young students "have a voice in co-creating a
world they can believe in."
Family members and friends of Toussaint L'Ouverture students, those who live in Haiti, are deeply impacted by this tragedy. Diane and Joesph are directly involved in relief efforts on their behalf. They will make your contribution work. Diane said to me: "Donations will be used for medical relief efforts first and foremost, and also for food and water." There are many ways people are drawn to contribute in tragedy. Because of the relationship I (and The Institute) have with Diane Allerdyce and her work for art and social justice, we are
doing our part by letting you know that this is one way you may offer support.
You Can Send a Donation To:
Toussaint L'Ouverture High School for Arts & Social Justice Attn: Lauren Keller - Relief Effort for Haiti 1325 Gateway Blvd. Boynton Beach, FL 33426
(Note: Please specify that your donation is for the earthquake relief effort and that you are a friend of The Institute for Poetic Medicine).
Here is a letter that Diane wrote to me on the morning of January 13, 2010:
"Thank you so much for your prayers and message of support - it means a
lot, John. We are here at school keeping a contact point open for the
community and held an assembly this morning for the students and
faculty including poetry from Giving Sorrow Words
while efforts continue to help them get in touch with family members in
Haiti. We have had counseling here and more on the way for the
students. We've set up an access line to Haiti for community members to
use the phone lines for free and are waiting for service to resume.
We're
having a press conference and community meeting to organize relief
efforts here at 5 PM today. Donations will be used for medical relief efforts first and foremost,
and also for food & water. I am thinking of you in this new year
and can feel your energy and love."
Namaste,
Diane
__________________________________
Diane Allerdyce on far left in yellow jacket; Joseph Bernadel on far right in blue jacket
__________________________________
Oh my Dear Flag
your colors shine more than the moon in the sky
you are beautiful like a rainbow in the sky
you are not something that we can buy
and then when you float you are not shy
you dance like trees in the time of earthquake
your shape is nice like the shape of a rectangular
cake
your color is not orange
but you are sweet like an orange
your words are never changed
it's time you talk
you always say that everything will be arranged
~ Sherly Luc, Touissant student
(Written in 2004 in a poetry therapy class with Diane Allerdyce just after the terrible flood
devastation in Haiti.)
TO Hear an Audio Postcard on NPR Featuring Poetry by Students Sherly
Luc and Vanessa Ramier, as Well as a Church Choral From Touissant's Girls' Choir: (Click Here)
|
John's 2010 Schedule To Date
MARCH
|
|
March 26 - 27, 2010 Offered by John Fox, CPT
Sponsored by Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists Auburn, CA
INTRODUCTION TO POETIC MEDICINE: The Healing Art of Poem-Making (3/26/10) and POETRY, COMMUNITY & THE FLOURISHING HEART (3/27/10)
"The only thing that can save the world is the reclaiming of the awareness of the world. That is what poetry does." ~ Allen Ginsberg
INTRODUCTION TO POETIC MEDICINE: The Healing Art of Poem-Making
Date: March 26, 2010 Friday: 7:00PM - 9:00PM
Fee: $25.00
This evening program is open to
all. It will be useful and inspiring for those who would like to consider
writing as a path for self-expression and as a way to stand for justice. It will
focus on sharing the ways that poetry can be a catalyst for healing and transformation
of the person and community.
Poetry, Community & the
Flourishing Heart
Date: March 27, 2010 Saturday: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Fee: $75.00
The making of poems is a way to
express our uniqueness and find common ground with others. It gives us
a chance to listen in a generative and
refreshing way. A poem can help
us to feel and care for what is really going on with the person whose
shoulder is next to ours. Poetry gives voice to a spirit of community and the
miracle of each individual. This workshop requires no experience with writing. Beginners are welcome and it is also appropriate if you already write. Anyone in the helping professions will benefit and find practical support for their work. It will inspire and give workable tools to anyone with a desire to express their truth and creativity.
Location of Both Events: Sierra Foothills Unitarian Universalists of Auburn 190 Finley St. Auburn, CA 95604
Fee Note: You can attend Friday evening, all day Saturday, or both days. Fee if attending both programs is $90.00.
For More Information: Please Contact John Bowman at: Phone: (916) 751-9189 E-mail:
[email protected]
FOR A FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
|
May 5, 2010 Offered with John Fox, CPT
An Inservice for Healthcare Providers
and Those in Helping Professions
Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation Tucson, AZ
FINDING THE WORDS TO SAY IT: The Healing Art of Written Expression
For people who work in helping
professions and healthcare, poetry and poem-making are an excellent treatment
modality. Research has shown that poetry, used in this therapeutic way, can
provide emotional resilience and meaningful connection. For caregivers, whether
they be family or professional, the reading or writing of poems can be part of
a practice of self-care and a way to avoid burnout. For the one coping with
illness or distress and for the one who receives that care, poetry can be like
a friend who helps to recognize and affirm a whole person.
Date: May 5, 2010 Wednesday: 2:00PM - 5:00PM
Fee: $45.00
Location: Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation 3182 N. Swan Rd. (at Swan & Camp Lowell, in the Village Offices complex) Tucson, AZ 85712
For More Information:
Please contact Barbara Stahura at: Phone: (520) 575-9650
E-Mail: [email protected] (There may be CEU's available for this program. Please contact Barbara to find out).
FOR A FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
"John Fox is the quintessential
group facilitator. Having over ten years' experience of leading groups in the
difficult task of lifestyle behavior change, I left Fox's workshop on the
healing art of poem-making with profound patient-empowering skills. With Fox's
skillful guidance, poem-making takes our impediments to growth and turns them
into catalysts."
~ Peg Baim, RN, NP, Clinical Director Center for Training Benson-Henry Institute for Mind
Body Medicine Massachusetts General Hospital
|
May 7 - 8, 2010
Two Special Presentations with John Fox, CPT
Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation Tucson, AZ
INTRODUCTION TO POETIC MEDICINE:
The Healing Art of Poem-Making (5/07/10)
and
POETIC MEDICINE:
A Writing Workshop (5/08/10)
INTRODUCTION TO POETIC MEDICINE: The Healing Art of Poem-Making
Date: May 7, 2010 Friday: 7:00PM - 9:30PM
Fee: $25.00
Location: Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation 3182 N. Swan Rd. (at Swan & Camp Lowell, in the Village Offices complex) Tucson, AZ 85712
John
will focus on ways poetry
and poem-making act as a catalyst for healing and transformation. He
will
show how poetry and poem-making can help you to release pain and
discover
meaning. You are invited to hear stories of how poetry is a catalyst
for making connections. This evening program is open to all.
No prior experience with
writing or poetry is necessary.
POETIC MEDICINE: A Writing Workshop
Date: May 8, 2010 Saturday: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Location: Tucson Osteopathic Medical Foundation 3182 N. Swan Rd. (at Swan & Camp Lowell, in the Village Offices complex) Tucson, AZ 85712
Fee: $95.00
What do you want to say about
your experience of life? What do you want to say about what matters to you?
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. Finding the words to say what
is in your heart can lighten the
load and bring a new sense of meaning, purpose and direction. John creates a safe environment to
explore this empowering process of self- expression. No prior experience is
necessary. If you have attended workshops with him in the past, this program
will offer time to write and share in community.
For More Information About Both Events:
Please Contact Barbara Stahura at: Phone: (520) 575-9650
E-Mail: [email protected]
Fee Note: You can attend Friday evening, all day Saturday, or both days. Fee if attending both programs is $110.00.
There may be CEU's available for these programs. Please call Barbara to find out.
Please Register by March 11, 2010
FOR A FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
|
May 25 - June 1, 2010
The Tenth Camping, Hiking & Poem-Making Experience
with John Fox, Joseph Johnson and Din� Friends, Jon and Lupita McClanahan
Canyon de Chelly Northern Arizona
THE NATURE OF POETRY: Exploring the Beauty Way
During the week, we will weave
together sessions of writing and sharing, walking and contemplation. We will
visit sacred sites such as Talking Rock & Spider Rock, White House Ruins
and the Ye'ibicheii Trail. We will have the chance to appreciate Din� and
Anasazi art, from ancient rock painting and petroglyphs to present day artists
working with silver and wool. This 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 Din� (Navajo) who honor the four elements and
directions on a daily basis. The wisdom stories of the Din� originate in and
around the stunning beauty of Canyon de Chelly. Our hosts, Jon and Lupita, will
share these stories and their way of life during the day and around the
campfire in the evening.
The retreat experience is a
cooperative camping adventure in simplicity. I guarantee your meals will be fantastic! The light of dawn and dusk, the hum of the wind,
will heal, inspire and guide us. This adventure is appropriate for both
beginning and more advanced camper and writer!
Dates:
May 25 - June 1, 2010
Retreat Fee: $1,100.00 ($350.00 deposit required)
Note: This
fee does not include travel to the Canyon and a few optional choices.
Please Register by May 12
Registration is Limited to 16 Participants!
For More Information:
Please Contact John Fox at: Phone: (650) 938-2717 E-Mail: [email protected]
FOR FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
TO VIEW PHOTOS BY TAD GIELOW OF PRIOR RETREATS: (Click Here)
TO VISIT WEBSITE OF FOOTPATH JOURNEYS: (Click Here)
_________________
"John
Fox is the best facilitator I have ever had the privilege to work with.
The way he responds deepens your experience of the poem and
allows it to expand, both inside yourself and within the circle of the
group. You are also held by the walls of the canyon, which is an
extremely powerful experience. You can literally feel the energy
emanating from the walls. I also appreciated John's ability to honor
the different needs of members in the group. There was space for
everyone to get what they needed."
Birch Thomas Portland, OR
_________________
_________________
In beauty may we dwell. In beauty may we walk. In beauty may our male kindred dwell. In beauty may our female kindred dwell. - From a Navajo Prayer
|
June 27 - July 2, 2010
THE HEALING ART OF WRITING:
Offered by: Joan Baranow John Fox, CPT Jane Hirshfield Louis B. Jones, M.D. Veneta Masson, R.N. Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. Terese Svoboda
Dominican University of California San Rafael, CA
Dominican University of California in cooperation with
The Foundation for Humanities in Medicine offers:
A Symposium Exploring Writing & Healing
Formerly known as Writing the Medical Experience, this intensive weeklong program in the literature of illness and recovery is open to doctors, nurses, patients, health care professionals
and families of patients. Any writer interested in medical subjects is
welcome. Bringing together individuals with a shared interest in the
literature of the body, and who have diverse ways of handling the
body's challenges, will inspire new ways of writing the medical
experience.
The conference will consist of lectures, workshops, panels, readings and informal gatherings on a tranquil campus just 11 miles north of San Francisco.
Applications will be considered in two categories: poetry and prose. Acceptance into the program is based on the quality of the application sample. Previous participants need not submit their work. Fees:Application Fee: $25
Tuition: $700 Partial Scholarships: A limited number of partial scholarships are available. To be considered, attach a letter describing need.
Housing: Double room $250; Single room $375 Meal Plan: Meal plan begins with dinner on Sunday, June 27 and ends with breakfast on Friday, July 2 FOR PDF INFORMATION/APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: (Click Here) All applications must be postmarked by April 16, 2010.
Acceptance letters and registration materials will be mailed by May 9. All fees must be received by May 28. Facilities:
The
tranquil Dominican campus covers 80 wooded acres in a quiet residential
neighborhood in San Rafael-yet it's only twenty minutes to San
Francisco and the East Bay. Edgehill Village, a residential complex
built in 2002, is six cedar-shingled buildings. Each suite features a
living room, two bedrooms, and a shared bathroom. Conlan Recreation
Center offers workout rooms and an outdoor pool. Accommodations
include meals. For More Information:Please Contact David Watts, Conference Director at: Phone: 415-759-1162 E-Mail: [email protected]
"I was inspired by you [John Fox], and learned how much more I have to learn. 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. If any healing took place at the conference, I'm sure it was, in large measure, thanks to your presence and example"
~ Cortney Davis, Nurse Practitioner Redding, CT author of The Body Flute and Leopold's Manuevers
|
June 30 - July 4, 2010
Offered by John Fox Sponsored by Ray McGinnis & Writing the Sacred
Rivendell Retreat Center On Bowen Island in British Columbia, Canada
SEEING TAKES TIME A Five Day Exploration
Nobody sees a flower-really-it
is so small-
we haven't time - and to see
takes time
like to have a friend takes
time.
~ Georgia O'Keefe
A gift of poetry is that it
encourages us to take our time. We can take our time to not only see a
small flower, but see and feel the richness of the world and of the person
whose shoulder is next to yours.
Writing poetry allows us to
reflect upon our lives and varied experiences. Sharing our poems with one
another, we take time to listen to a friend. It is a great gift, this kind
of listening.
We will experiment with the
poetic elements of metaphor, sound, rhythm, imagery and symbol.
This retreat offers a safe,
supportive environment to write poems-or what William Stafford preferred
to call 'things' - that can open up feelings, distill meaning,
shore up your ability to respond to difficulties with integrity and courage.
Appropriate for beginning and
experienced writers! This workshop provides pastoral and healthcare professionals with self-care tools and applicable techniques for their
practice. Dates:
June 30 - July 4, 2010
Fee:
$650 (includes full retreat, all meals and lodging; $100 deposit required)
Location: Rivendell Retreat Centre Bowen
Island, British Columbia Rivendell Retreat is a place of peace and quiet away from the noise,
distractions and pressures of the city, with magnificent views of mountains,
forests and seas... a sanctuary with a network of trails that offer the
opportunity for discovering new intimacy with God while exploring forest paths
and the wonders of creation located on 6 acres atop Cates Hill on Bowen Island;
a short ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay and West Vancouver. FOR INFORMATION REGARDING TRAVEL, LODGING AND RETREAT FACILITIES AT RIVENDELL: (Click Here)
FOR A FLYER/REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
For More Information: Please Contact Ray McGinnis at: Phone: (604)
408-4457 E-mail:
[email protected] TO VISIT RAY MCGINNIS' WEBSITE: (Click Here)
|
September 10 - 12, 2010
A Retreat Bringing Together
Poetic Medicine with the Circle of Trust � Approach
with John Fox, CPT, and Sally Z. Hare, Ph. D.
The Mercy Center Burlingame, CA
THE JOURNEY OF THE UNDIVIDED LIFE:
Reclaiming Your Hidden Wholeness Through the Healing Art of Poetry
In this unique 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 Circle of
Trust theory, and the healing power of writing, based in John's own work in
poetry therapy.
Our innate wholeness is part of
the gift of being human, but as Thomas Merton has written, it is often hidden
or invisible. The pressures and hectic pace of our modern lives too often make
it easier to see our brokenness than our wholeness - and we can even forget
that it is there.
There is in all things an
invisible fecundity, a dimmed light, a meek namelessness, a hidden wholeness. This mysterious Unity, and Integrity, is
Wisdom, the Mother of all, Natura naturans. ~Thomas Merton
Those of us engaged in
organizational leadership, teaching, psychology, pastoral care, medicine and
other service professions, in community service and social change, know the
challenge of sustaining ourselves and our commitment to deeply held values and
beliefs.
The more passionate we are about
our work, the more vital it is that we take time to renew our own spirits - to
reconnect with the wellsprings of our work in the world, our service to others.
Dates:
September 10 - 12, 2010 Location: The Mercy Center
Burlingame, CA
Fee:The
registration fee for this retreat is $889 * and includes EVERYTHING: all retreat fees, materials, private
bedrooms, all meals, coffee and tea breaks. *Registration by
July 1st entitles you
to a discounted fee of $799.Space
is limited to 24 participants. Programs typically fill well before the
deadline.
FOR A FLYER & REGISTRATION FORM: (Click Here)
For Further Information: Dr. Sally Z. Hare Phone: 843-238-9291 E-Mail: [email protected] John Fox Phone: 650-938-2717 E-Mail: [email protected] TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SALLY HARE:
|
________
Please Share this Constant Contact With Family, Friends, and Co-Workers
by Clicking the "Forward e-Mail" Link at the Bottom of this Newsletter. ________
|
|
|
|
|