Volume IIII, Issue 27 July 6, 2015 |
Word of the Week: goodness |
Dear ,
Greetings from Chautauqua! I am having a wonderful time— wish you were here!
Since I wrote you last week, I have been drinking in all the goodness of this
beautiful place. Pictured above is former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, who spoke about "The Sounds of Poetry." A man after my own heart, he discussed the pleasure language can provide for its sound alone, freed from meaning. Among his many examples was the "Mondegreen" of verse 6 of the 23rd psalm I used as this week's subject line.
As a kid, he loved imagining what the "good Mrs. Murphy" who surely followed him might look like! He encouraged us about the "favorite poem" project that he started— check out a selection from this website below.
And that evening, I got to watch our own Charlotte Ballet company, who makes their summer home in Chautauqua, perform a medley of dances based on Pinsky's poems, narrated by him and accompanied by a jazz
pianist. Way cool...
I also heard an inspiring talk in which the speaker encouraged us to stop at least once in a while and ask ourselves where we have
encountered goodness as we moved through our day. Isn't that a great question?
One of the places I found goodness all week long was in my Spinning Words into Gold class. Here's a photo of the seven wonderful women I had the pleasure of spending my afternoons
with. And in between, among other things, walks by the lake and three concerts in three
different locations on the 4th of July, plus fireworks! Not to mention opportunities to hang out with family and friends both old and new in this magical place so full of faith and reason, mystery and intellect...
I hope your holiday weekend was a wonderful one! And may good Mrs. Murphy follow you all the days of your
life!
Love and light, Maureen Upcoming WordPlay DELICIOUS MEMORIES (Writing about Food in Any and All Genres) Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it’s a rich source of metaphor and memory! We’ll explore our connections with food as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how — and even why — we ate! You can use your food writings to create a family
cookbook, individual essays, stories, or poems, scenes in fiction or memoir, a food blog, etc. — or just for your own pleasure.
WHERE: North County Regional Library. 16500 Holly
Crest Lane, Huntersville, NC 28078
WHEN: July 15th, 2015, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
COST: FREE!
TO REGISTER: To register online, please click here.
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JOHN CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL (Fulfilling Writing Dreams and Goals; Creating
New Writing; Revising and Polishing Your Writing) Does writing fulfill you? Do you wish you were writing more? Jumpstart your writing life and learn to keep your words flowing. Learn specific techniques and exercises to create nonfiction, poetry and/or fiction. Whether you would like to keep a journal for your own personal growth, spin stories for your loved ones, or further a career as a professional
writer, experience the satisfaction of developing a writing practice that works for you—come spin words into gold.
WHERE: John Campbell Folk School, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902
WHEN: Sunday, August 23rd through Saturday, August 29th, 2015
TO
REGISTER:Call the John Campbell Folks School at 1-800.FOLK.SCH (365-5724). Or register online here. $594 for one week-long session, plus lodging and meals. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
(Fulfilling Writing Dreams & Goals; Creating New Writing; Revising & Polishing Your Writing) This class is designed to fulfill your writing dreams and projects. You’ll set goals and support structures and watch your writing flow! You’ll also get
feedback on your work (any genre) and learn revision tools and methods. Each week, writing prompts will generate material for new writing or further a piece in process, whatever your preferred genre. Through examples of accomplished writers, you’ll learn techniques to aid you right where you are in the process.
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center,
1000 East Morehead Street, 28204
WHEN: Wednesday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to noon:
September 2, 9, 16 and 30, October 7, 14, 21 and 28, November 18, December 2, 9 and 16
COST: $399 for 12 classes
TO REGISTER:To register by check, please email info@wordplaynow.com for details. To register online with a credit card, please click this secure link. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GIFT OF MEMOIR (Preserving Family History; Writing for and about Your Family; The Art of Memoir) Our life stories
are a precious legacy. Putting them in writing is a gift to all who know and love us—they can be treasured and enjoyed for generations to come. It is also a gift to ourselves. As best-selling author Rachel Naomi Remen says in her book Kitchen Table Wisdom, facts bring us to knowledge, but stories bring us to wisdom. If you are interested in writing family and/or personal life stories—those significant tales of adventure, transition, love, loss, and triumph, as well as lovely
everyday moments from times past or the present, come learn specific tools and techniques to retrieve and record them.
WHERE: Covenant Presbyterian Recreation Center, 1000 East Morehead Street, Charlotte, 28204. Click here for map.
WHEN:Thursday mornings, 10:00 a.m. – noon:
September 3 and 17, October 1 and 15, November 5 and 19, December 3
COST: $229 for 7 sessions.
TO REGISTER:To
register by check, or for more details, please email info@wordplaynow.com. To register online with a credit card, please click this secure link.
More WordPlay opportunities here. Click the link to hear construction worker John Doherty of Braintree, Massachusetts explain why he loves this poem of Whitman's, then read an excerpt. Lots of goodness here!
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 "goodness."
NOTE: Before engaging in this exercise, try considering how you could use it as a part
of a current (or potential) writing project.
PROMPT:
Where and when have you (or one of your characters) experienced goodness in the past week? Make a list of moments, then
pick one and write it out, including all the sensory details, as well as your own thoughts and emotions and any dialogue that occurred.
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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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