Volume IX, Issue 30
July 22, 2020
Word of the Week: revisit
Dear ,
Yesterday's I heard a poem by Rita Dove called "Dawn Revisited" that is so beautiful and spoke so straight to my heart that I listened to it three times, and then read it a few more times, and then decided I had to share it with you. It begins with the words "Imagine you wake up/with a second chance."
I like imagining this, for my own sake, and everyone else's too. I want to be more like Bryan Stevenson, the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative that you met a few weeks ago, and "believe that each person is more than the worst thing they've ever done."
How about you? Are you ready to revisit dawn and give yourself, and maybe some other people, a second chance? I hope you find Rita Dove's words a great starting point, as well as a delight. (If someone you loved ever told you to "Shake a leg!" it will make you smile.)
Love and light,
Maureen
WordPlay
Opportunities
Shaping Our Lives by Shaping Our Words:
Through the Pandemic and Beyond
What benefits can writing provide—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? We know now that the words we use and the stories we tell shape our daily experiences. Learn to shape words that bring out the best in you—and others. In this class incorporating Dr. James Pennebaker’s ground-breaking work, you’ll practice holistic, whole brain writing approaches that broaden your perspectives and deepen your
compassion. And, if you’re interested, you’ll create new poetry, creative nonfiction, and/or fiction.
For more information, visit https://learn.chq.org/courses/shaping-our-lives-by-shaping-our-words-through-the-pandemic-and-beyond.
WHERE: Online via Chautauqua Institution
WHEN: Monday, August 3rd – Friday, August 7th, 2020 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: $115
TO REGISTER: Visit https://learn.chq.org/courses/shaping-our-lives-by-shaping-our-words-through-the-pandemic-and-beyond and click “Enroll Now”
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How Do I Say
Goodbye? and Praying You Goodbye
These two books are for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one—whether the loss is
impending, recent, or in the past.
The contemplative exercises within are a guide through the “many waters” of grief (from Madeleine L'Engle's A Two-Part Invention), including "treasuring" and "keeping" as well as regret and sadness.
What is grief, after all, but a sign of the depth of our love? On the far shore is always gratefulness, for, as the French proverb says, “Gratitude is the heart’s memory.” Those who enjoy writing will likely also find poems, essays, and/or stories emerging as they make their way through these
pages.
I created the process shared in these two books in June of 2002, shortly after my mother died, as a way to mindfully mourn this loss—and celebrate her life. I shared it with a beloved friend, the Reverend Rebecca Taylor, when she lost her father, and she encouraged me to make it available to others. Here it is, in two versions, both of which offer quotes, reflections, prompts, and space to write about your loved one, as well as beautiful photographs by Wendy H. Gill that enhance each part of the process. Either
version makes a thoughtful condolence gift for a friend or family member.
How Do I Say Goodbye? is for those of any faith, with quotes from many different sources to accompany the process. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
Praying You Goodbye is specifically for Christians, with accompanying quotes from Scripture chosen by Reverend Rebecca Taylor. It can be purchased on Amazon here.
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POETRY ROCKS!
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.
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
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via the web.
WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come.
COST: $45
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To register for Poetry Rocks online, click here.
More WordPlay opportunities coming soon.
Stay posted!
Featured Writing
from
On the Bus with Rosa Parks
by
Rita Dove
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 “revisit.”
PROMPT 1:
What would you (or one of your characters) like to revisit and receive a second chance for? Write about one of these second chances--past, present, or future.
PROMPT 2: (from WordPlay's online course Poetry Rocks)
Rita Dove's "Dawn Revisited" has so many wonderful words and phrases that it's the perfect choice for the creation exercise I call "The Gather," an adaptation of an exercise by Gabriele Lusser Rico.
Gather words and phrases from writing you love to use as building blocks to create your own poem via this technique adapted from Gabriele Lusser Rico’s book Recreations.
- Find writing with beautiful, interesting language.
- Now, listen to your piece of writing. And I do mean listen, whether you use The Writer’s Almanac link above, ask someone to read it to you, tape it and listen to
yourself, or simply read it out loud. Don’t think or analyze, just listen to the sound and music of the words.
- Listen to your selected piece of writing again, and this time, as you listen, gather individual words and/or phrases from the writing at random, grabbing them as they go by. Again, don’t think or analyze, just write random words and phrases
around your magnetic center. Put them anywhere you like, arranged any way that pleases—clockwise, counterclockwise, higgledy-piggledy.
- Next, read over your words and phrases, and let one of them, or a few of them in combination, suggest a topic or working title to you. Go with whatever shows up in your brain. You can’t do this
wrong.
- Write your topic or working title in that empty square in the center of your paper. Stare at it, sitting there, surrounded by words and phrases.
- Then, rewrite your theme, topic, or title on a separate piece of paper. Keep your Gather beside it for the next step.
- Now set a timer for four minutes (I like using this applauding online timer), and
assemble a poem from your Gather. Use as many or as few of your gathered words and phrases as you like, in any order. (This is way better than those Magnetic Poetry Kits—you can add anything you care to.) Note: This tool, like many of the others, is designed to be done without thinking or analyzing. Just write. And feel free to create prose or poetry.
- Read your finished piece out loud, and enjoy.
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 three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, 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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