Volume III, Issue 44
December 1, 2014
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Dear ,
You know, I have shared about my dog Lucy in several Word-zines, but I don't believe I've ever mentioned my cat Winston, pictured above. (Picture that tail twitching, which it did from when I walked into his sunny space until I left. And note that he didn't deign to raise his head in greeting.)
Now Lucy would have... Well, I won't start a battle with myself about the relative benefits of dogs versus cats I've always liked it best when I've had one of each in my life -- a dog makes me feel loved, but a cat reminds me daily that I don't have to always be pleasing people to be appreciated. And that pleasing myself -- and taking care of myself -- is important, too.
And what better time to be reminded of this than December, when my tendency is to run myself ragged. I thought you might like a reminder, too, so I invited my creative consultant
and dear friend Wend H. Gill to share her essay "Ten Secrets of a Purr-fect Life" with you. (Besides, cats make great subjects for writing. Check out Christopher Smart's Jeoffrey if you don't believe me. And we all know The Cat in the Hat. And, hey, what about the two cats in the yard Crosby, Stills, and Nash sang of back in the 70's?) You can scroll on down to this week's prompt right now if you like.
But I do want to share how excited I am that Wendy is going to be facilitating a fabulous creative course based on "The Artist's Way" starting in January. I highly recommend it -- it's a life-changing, joyous process! There's more about it
below.
Also, today is the last day to buy my new poetry book, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, at a more than 40% discount. Details about that are below too.
Now go follow Winston's lead and curl up in a sun patch (or a patch of cozy lamplight) for a few minutes and do absolutely nothing but breathe and be grateful to be
alive. )Twitch your proverbial tail if anyone tries to interrupt you.) Doesn't that make you feel better?
Love, light, and happy purring,
Maureen
LAST DAY TO GET A DISCOUNT! Joseph Bathanti, former poet laureate of North Carolina and author of numerous books of poetry and prose wrote: "A literal chorus
emanates from Ten Thousand Cicadas Can’t Be Wrong, Maureen Ryan Griffin’s New and Selected Poems, in language that is wonderfully, compulsively precise. Griffin inspects and catalogues the grand and the infinitesimal as through a jeweler’s loupe – parsing, quantifying, enumerating and especially illuminating. There’s not a jot of tedium involved in the tally – for the poet or for the reader – but rather a joy born of the sheer expanse of the world Griffin claims not merely for herself,
but returns to us transformed. This is a magnanimous, glowing volume."
This is the last day to order your copy for the hugely discounted pre-publication price of $8.50 + tax and shipping ($12.49). Must order by midnight tonight Monday, December 1st. Order
your copy by clicking on this link today. Upcoming WordPlay
CHECK OUT THIS UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY, TAUGHT BY THIS WEEK'S FEATURED WRITER! THE ARTIST'S WAY: A Spiritual Path to Higher
Creativity (Expanding Our Creativity; Creating Joy and Fulfillment in Our Lives) Are you ready to discover the joy of creativity? Using the
proven tools and structure of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, this course will spur your imagination and guide your journey toward creative self-expression.
Our 2-hour sessions include weekly check-ins, hands-on activities, and creativity exercises. The encouragement and support of this small in-person community (what Julia Cameron calls a “creative cluster”) will help you fully
experience the power of The Artist’s Way.
COST: $195 for 13 two-hour sessions over 13 weeks WHERE: Downtown Matthews, NC WHEN: Thursday evenings, 7-9 PM,
January 8 – April 2, 2015
WINTER WRITING RETREAT (Writing — and More — as Renewal /
Creating New Writing) Renew and delight yourself. The Winter Writing Retreat is an opportunity to create new pieces of writing and/or new possibilities for our lives. Enjoy various seasonal prompts; they have not failed to elicit beautiful material that can be shaped into essays, poems, stories, or articles. After a communal lunch, you’ll have
private time which can be used to collage, work with a piece of writing from the morning, or play with a number of other writing prompts and methods. You’ll take home new ideas, new drafts, and new possibilities. $97 includes lunch and supplies.WHERE: South Charlotte area. Details will be provided upon registration.
WINTER WRITING RETREAT: Saturday,
December 20, 2014,10 am – 5 pm
TO REGISTER: Register online here. Or email info@wordplaynow.com for details on registering via mail.
More WordPlay opportunities here. WordPlay Success Story
"Maureen has a spirit of boundless generosity. She celebrates each student’s success like it’s her own, which indeed it is. Maureen gave me the confidence to keep putting words to paper."
Meet Wendy H. Gill
Wendy H. Gill was a special education teacher for 22 years. One of her greatest joys as an educator was adapting stories, rhymes and songs to engage her students and instill a love of books. She left
full-time teaching in 2000 to create a literacy enrichment program for young children. She is currently a writer, producer, and the owner of Professional Communications, a creative video production agency. Her poems and essays have appeared in a variety of regional and national
publications.
What Wendy says about WordPlay
As I made my timid foray into the Charlotte, NC writing community back in 2000, everyone I met seemed to be talking about a
talented writer and gifted teacher named Maureen Ryan Griffin. Based on these glowing recommendations, I quickly signed up for a WordPlay class. Maureen did not disappoint.
She made me, a writing novice, feel instantly at ease; I was in a place where creativity is nourished and thriving. Maureen has a spirit of boundless generosity. She celebrates each student’s success like it’s her own,
which indeed it is. Maureen gave me the confidence to keep putting words to paper. Before long, I began thinking of myself as a writer.
I’ve since attended countless WordPlay classes, including “Under Construction” and a number of seasonal retreats. Maureen establishes an environment of acceptance and support, thereby encouraging us to take risks and grow as writers. She is adept at using poems
and writing samples to inspire and jumpstart creativity. As my pen sprints across the page during these exercises, I’m often surprised at the ideas that almost magically take shape.
Maureen’s editing skills are exceptional, and I am immensely grateful for her thoughtful feedback and spot-on guidance on my essays and poetry throughout the years.
I recently had the joy of attending one of Maureen’s Coastal Writing Retreats. What an amazing group of kindred spirits I met at the writing table that weekend. For me, it was a perfect setting for making powerful connections – with my writing, with other participants, and with myself.
Featured Writing
The Ten Secrets of a Purr-fect Life
by
Wendy H. Gill
I’m convinced that my cat, Sydney, holds the key to the meaning of life. Behind her green Cleopatra-lined eyes lies the ancient wisdom of the mind/body/spirit connection. But since she’s not talking, I've been studying her behavior for clues. To the best of my limited human knowledge, these are the principles by which my furry mystic moves through the kitty cosmos:
1. Forget all that people-pleasing crap. Nine
lives, especially in cat years, are too short to spend doing what people want you to do. Don’t let people’s demands ruffle your fur; just be yourself. Snuggle onto the lap of someone who foolishly claims to be allergic to you. And never be afraid to hack up a fur ball while you’re there. 2. Invite your inner kitten to come out and play daily. When the spirit moves you, thunder through the house at lightning speed in pursuit of the invisible calling of
your heart. Don’t be timid now! Charge down the stairs, careen headlong across the kitchen linoleum and take a flying leap into the laundry hamper. A half-dead beetle, a dancing dust bunny, or a piece of thread hanging from the cat-tattered curtain quickens the pulse and sharpens the reflexes. And, a little catnip buzz on Saturday night is good for the soul and non habit-forming. Don’t depend on others to make your fun; when it comes to quality entertainment, there’s nothing better than
your own tail. 3. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Bathe every morning and after meals, preferably in the cozy warmth of a patch of sunlight. Don’t forget the tender spots between your toes. Feminine hygiene is a must, but do maintain your sense of ladylike decorum when attending to those hard-to-reach genitalia. 4. Meditate often. Practice the transcendental art of phasing out the human world: hold your head erect,
blink your tiger eyes in slow motion, and tuck your tail and paws into serene symmetry. Relax completely, but do not sleep. Purring mantra is optional. After reaching enlightenment, practice a few measured yoga stretches. Yawn repeatedly and as wide as possible to release stored-up, kitty-breath toxins. Each session may last from one to four hours … six times per day. 5. Hydrate your body with fresh water throughout the day. If your water is over 11 minutes old, note your disapproval by depositing several food pellets into your water bowl. This quickly sends the message that there’s something fishy going on. Whenever your human servant enters the bathroom, make a beeline directly in front of her feet. Wail plaintively until she turns on the faucet. Make sure she gets the flow just right. No, not quite. There … perfect. Allow the cool, pure stream to roll over your brow and nose
before drinking. Take your time. Your human will wait. Chances are, your lapping pink tongue and sweet, slurpy sounds will charm her. If not … who gives a drip. To read the rest of Wendy's writing, check out her webpage here. (This essay first appeared in
skirt! Magazine.)
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's "feline." PROMPT:
Feel free to do both of these choices...
Choice 1:
Write about a feline, real or fictional. If you like, first allow yourself to be inspired by a few famous cats in literature besides Christopher Smart's Jeoffrey! You can make a cat the main character of a story, scene, essay, play, song, poem, etc., or
you can just allow it to wander in and rub against a main character's legs, as it were...
Choice 2:
As "they" say, "Much truth is often said in jest." Read all "Ten Secrets of a Purr-fect Life." Journal about which of these (you can pick more than one), if incorporated in your life, would
make a difference in the way you felt this holiday season. Choose the easiest one and make a plan to put it into action on an ongoing basis. Writing it down helps, whether you add it to your calendar, or post it on your bathroom mirror, on the refrigerator door, or wherever else you will see it. Move it every few days so that you don't stop "seeing" it.
BONUS: Pick the one that would make the
biggest difference to you this month, and make a plan to put it into action, too.
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MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word
work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
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