Volume IIII, Issue 16
April 20, 2015
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Word of the Week: paradox
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Dear ,
I've been thinking about using paradox for a word of the week since I walked past a pair of docks back in February at my last Coastal Retreat at Sunset Beach. (No, I couldn't resist, corny as it is!)
But it wasn't until I heard Krista Tippett's On Being podcast on "The Inner Life of Rebellion" that I knew I had a featured writing to share with you that did the
word paradox justice.
Even the description is full of paradox: "The history of rebellion is rife with excess and burnout. But new generations have a distinctive commitment to be
reflective and activist at once, to be in service as much as in charge, and to learn from history while bringing very new realities into being. Journalist and entrepreneur Courtney Martin and Quaker wise man Parker Palmer come together for a cross-generational conversation about the inner work of sustainable, resilient social change."
I believe that the best writers, and the best people, are willing to wrestle with ambiguity and paradox. After all, the human condition is riddled with them.
And how could I resist sharing a piece that features a cross-generational conversation, given how fond I am of them? (This latest between me and my grandson Rhys took place on his second birthday just a few days ago. As you can see, my gift was a
hit.)
Quality time with people born in different decades can be life-changing. In fact, I was touched recently when a frequent WordPlayer told
me that one of the things she most values about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats is that they facilitate cross-generational conversations. For the first time in her life – and she is now in her early 40’s! – she is close friends with people outside her own age group, including a brilliant, zest-filled octogenarian, and she finds this so rich and helpful.
And besides, how could I, poetry-lover that I am, resist a podcast with transcript in which the host (in this case, the fabulous Krista Tippett) invites one of her guests to share a poem by saying, “I think poetry is maybe a kind of rebellion against prose, you know, that helps keeps language alive again and again.”
I hope you enjoy the excerpt from "The Inner Life of Rebellion" below, and that you check out the full episode, through listening or reading the transcript. Links to both are below.
And if you'd like to rebel against prose through spending time reveling in poetry (which, paradoxically, will help you write better prose), it's not too late to register for Poetry Rocks!, an online course that contains 23 poetry tools you can use again and again as you
write.
Love and light,
Maureen |
Upcoming WordPlay
POETRY
ROCKS! * you can still register! POETRY ROCKS: TAP INTO ALL POETRY CAN DO FOR YOU(Learning the Ins and Outs of Poetry; Strengthening Your Writing Skills; Adding a New
Layer of Literary Beauty to Your Life)
Would you like your writing — prose and/or poetry — to be more graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find
poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you. Expect a good time exploring what makes a
poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask any question you’ve ever had about poetry but were afraid to ask. It would be a joy and an
honor to share what rocks about poetry with you! HERE’S WHAT YOU GET: - 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday
through Friday) to your inbox — in honor of National Poetry month. Use them as you get them, use them when you can, use them over and over to create poems. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem. Many of them are great for creating prose, too.
The tools
include: * a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn * background information when helpful * “how-to” directions to create a poem * an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action * a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered * “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration * a short
reflection to solidify the concepts covered - A PDF document of each tool that you can print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or
reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart — this information can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- Additional poetry resources
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
- A private Facebook
community just for Poetry Rocks! participants, so you can share, learn, ask questions, etc.
- An online class that will include poetry creation, live revision of poems created during Poetry Rocks! (maybe one of yours!), and a Q & A session.
BONUS: All interested participants will be entered in a drawing to get a 750-word (or shorter) poem critiqued. The five winning poets will be able to share a poem created in Poetry Rocks! during our online class to illustrate the revision process. WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via phone, web, or replay WHEN: You'll begin receiving your tools the day after you register. COST: $45
-----------------------------------------------------------------FREE WordPlay Offerings:
Every Picture Holds a Story workshop
Would you enjoy using visual images as writing inspiration? Come learn fun, easy methods to
capture treasured family stories and create memorable fiction, memoir, and poetry. A variety of images will be provided; bring your own photos if you like.
WHERE: Union County
Public Library. 316 East Windsor Street. Monroe, NC 28112
WHEN: Saturday, April 25th, from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
TO REGISTER: Contact Lori at 704-283-8184 ext. 224 or lgrem@union.lib.nc.us to register or for more information.
----------------------------------------------------------------- FREE Reading at Madison's Coffeehouse this Friday!
Woo hoo! I'm going to be a featured reader at Madison's Coffeehouse in Indian Trail. Come on out for poetry and conversation and enjoy a hot drink, some ice cream, a tasty appetizer and/or a glass of wine!
WHERE: Madison's Coffeehouse. 7878 Idlewild Road. Indian Trail, NC 28079
WHEN: Friday, April 24th, starting at 7:30 pm
----------------------------------------------------------------- FREE Reading at Park Road Books
I am very excited about this first-time joint reading with my longtime friend Gilda Morina Syverson! Gilda was my first writing buddy (we met each other in a writing class at Queens back in 1988!!!) and we have supported each other in all our writing projects along the way. She'll be reading from her new memoir, and I from my new book of poetry. We would love to have you join us for this special evening at the best book store in Charlotte (And the only one that supports local
writers)!
WHERE: Park Road Books 4139 Park Road. Charlotte, NC 28209
WHEN: Thursday, May 7th, starting at 7:00 pm
More WordPlay opportunities here.
Featured Writers
Parker Palmer and Courtney Martin
an excerpt from the
On Being podcast
MS. MARTIN: … I've
heard that phrase about the simplicity on the other side of complexity and… MS. TIPPETT: Yeah, Oliver Wendell Holmes. Yes. MS.
MARTIN: Yeah, I have such deep respect for that idea. Like that to me is what I crave more than anything is — and I think part of why Parker's writing is so beautiful, and his influence means so much is he is such a genius at the simplicity on the other side of complexity. But that is hard-earned. And I think that's part of what I mean, is you know, there are really simple ways to be a just force in the world, and I think they are, you
know, honoring the dignity of each human being you encounter, et cetera. But there's so many complexities also. And so it's about like if you're trying to create systemic change, you have to think about all those complexities. And you have to think about yourself humbly within those complexities…. MR. PALMER: Mm. Well, on the complexity subject, I think Courtney has said some very important
things. And I've been very influenced by her book, Do It Anyway.... I want to throw in the word "community." I mean, I think complexity can only be held by community. And I think that one of the most important things that needs to
happen right now is if I may say so — by at your invitation being modeled right here, which is inter-generational community.
I a few years ago invited Courtney and a bunch of her friends, who are some of the most remarkable people I've ever met, these 30-something folk who are doing it anyway, and who give to me every sign that they're in it for the long haul. Not just for the short ride. I invited them to my home in Madison, Wisconsin, to help me and some of my colleagues at the little non-profit I founded, the Center for Courage & Renewal, um, understand the digital revolution and how our work might be
enhanced and amplified through that, because my generation knows very little about that. So, we spent three days in the living room and I was learning so much. And I remember saying to them, you may remember this,
Courtney, at one point I said, you know, at age, what was I, 70 at the time, 75 now. I said, ‘I feel like I'm standing somewhere down the curvature of the earth. I cannot see the horizon that you folks see, where you're standing higher on that curvature. I need your eyes, and I need your ears, and I need you to tell me what it is you're seeing, because that same horizon is coming at me, even though I don't know it.’ My point is that I'm standing here having quote “figured a lot of things out”
through 75 years of education, social engagement, risk taking, rebellion, although I think you can claim the rebel status only in retrospect, and only very lightly, because as soon as you start thinking in this moment consciously I'm a rebel, you screw it all up. This self-labeling is dangerous stuff. Just do what you do. I mean, the bird doesn't think I'm a bird, I can fly. Why, you know… [laughter] …what am I doing sitting here on a branch?
They just, you know, they do what they do. And so I would just say one more thing about Courtney's wonderful emphasis on humility. My last book is called Healing the Heart of Democracy, and in that book, I talk about five habits of the heart. But when I give talks about it, I say if five is too many for you to hold onto, you really only need two. You need
chutzpah and humility.
You know, you need the chutzpah to know that you have a voice worth speaking, and things worth saying, and you need the humility to know that it's vital to listen, because you may not have it right at all, or only a very partial grasp on the
truth. So, I think it's in holding these paradoxes that we start to sort things out. There's so much of this life that we're all trying to live that's just not about either/or, even though we've been trained to think in binary code. Right? I mean that in the larger sense, the metaphorical sense of that term. It's both/and. I breathe in and I breathe out. I really — it would really be dangerous for me to say I think I'm basically a breathing out kind of guy.
[laughter] …. MR. PARKER: … So, community is critical to me. And also, holding these paradoxes, like, simplicity and complexity. Like, chutzpah and humility. Like breathing in and breathing out. Um, like resting and acting. Simple stuff, but we forget to do it. From "On Being with Krista Tippett"
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 "paradox."
PROMPT:
Choose a pair of opposites to work with. Use Parker Palmer and Courtney Martin's simplicity and complexity, chutzpah and humility, breathing in and breathing out, and resting and acting, or any other that you're drawn to explore, such as light and dark, good and evil, joy and sorrow, intimacy and independence, etc.
Jot down a list of questions and observations that come to mind as you consider the relationship between these two opposites and the effect one has on the other.
Now, create a piece of writing (meditation, short story, essay, poem, or whatever else you like) inspired by your questions and observations.
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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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