Valerie Harris Wins Transformation Award from Leeway Foundation!

TLA member, Valerie Harris is a recipient of the 2008 Transformation Award from the Leeway Foundation. The award is given to 13 women in Philadelphia, PA and the surrounding area whose art over the past 5 years impacts social change in their communities. Valerie received the award in Literature for her community-based Writers Academy/Teen Writers Academy workshops, publishing, and documentary video projects. The Transformation Award comes with a purse of $15,000. Valerie plans to use part of the funds to complete production of "A Highway Runs Through It..." a documentary that she has written and is producing on the history and current issues of the African American community in Darby Township, a once rural enclave on the outskirts of Philadelphia that has been threatened by redevelopment efforts. The documentary project evolved from a 10-week memoir writing workshop Valerie delivered at a senior center in Darby Township in 2006.

Writing Ourselves Home While Living with Cancer by Kirsten Andersen

The Callanish Society is a small, grassroots non-profit organization based in Vancouver, Canada. Dedicated to improving the emotional and spiritual health of its community, Callanish assists those with an experience of cancer in their lives to explore illness and/or death openly and consciously.

Week-long retreats and ongoing support programs are offered by a team of health care professionals and volunteers who believe that communities can develop resilience in the face of illness and healing, loss and death, by coming together in a process of authentic dialogue and in an in-depth exploration of what it means to heal emotionally and spiritually while living with, or dying from, cancer.

The desire for this depth of exploration naturally lends itself to the use of arts as a means of healing. Through the years, Callanish community members have experienced and witnessed extraordinary transformation through the use of art, music and sound, meditation and circles of support. Writing, therefore, seemed a natural addition to further engage in authentic dialogue about what it means to heal, and, in the spring of 2008, Callanish Writes was born.

Coming together to write as a group for the first time, we “landed” in our new space by considering our origins – who we are, who we were. Utilizing the Amherst Writers and Artists’ (AWA) method pioneered by author Pat Schneider, reading out loud for the first time, writing poetry and responding to each other’s work were firsts for many of us and opened a vast door of possibility.

As the weeks passed, we began to examine the terrain of cancer, from diagnosis to the scars that adorn the body and the mind. We wrote about “gooey emotions,” and gave “cause to pause” on the matters of life, with and without cancer, with and without answers.

Through language, we traveled from the icy peaks of Patagonia to the streets of New York City with a “llama in a limo.” We visited “forests of faith” and mourned “days of hope renewed, but ended.”

Each week we found beautiful and pithy words to “throw off the tongue” and “the grace to move on.” Together, we continued to “let the light (and the bedbugs) bite,” because we had the reassurance that whatever came out on paper could be held by the group - the same support that is such an integral part of the Callanish culture.

Callanish writer, Peter S. reflects on his experience as a participant: When I immersed myself in the inaugural Callanish Writes group, my lymphoma had been stable for a year. Psychologically torn between euphoria for having beat the “Big C” to waiting for the hammer to come down in a possible relapse, I participated in the workshops with an open mind and spirit.

I rediscovered my inner voice, which had eluded me since diagnosis. I was astonished at how concealed words flowed onto the page, and the powerful reaction they evoked. I was humbled sharing the sacred inner thoughts of my fellow writers as they too struggled to articulate their own struggles and perspectives on this journey with cancer. As the weeks passed, writing “in community” was a powerful tool for healing. [I experienced] fear, trust, forgiveness, acceptance, and, most important…love.

Fellow Callanish writer, Eva M., adds: For many of us that have been diagnosed with cancer it is difficult to be truly honest with loved ones about the fear, the trauma, the frustrations that we encounter. For their sake we show our positive outlook. The workshop provided a context which permitted, in fact, encouraged, all expressions that might be locked inside, including the humourous. The group dynamic also allowed each of us to feel less isolated as we discovered similar responses from our fellow writers. Herein evolved the quality of community, sharing the struggles and the laughter.

For Callanish writer Robin F., utilizing the written word as a means of personal exploration was “liberating”: After 60-plus years, I learned to befriend my critics, enough to politely excuse myself from their presence.

Robin further reflects:

A Discovery: Words flowed
Surprising: I made a group of people laugh
Shocking: I spoke in a group of people
More shocking: I spoke my own truth, my own words
Even more astonishing: They listened and responded
Profound: As cancer became one mere aspect of my life, writing became a warm, wondrous expression for me. A welcome tool.
Writing is no longer something I have to do as a chore with feelings of inadequacy.

Powerful: As a result of participating in the workshop I also am aware that to my behavior in all groups has shifted: I am present! With friends, peers, family, experts, colleagues and classmates. I no longer sit in tension, distracted by the fears and critics that used to surround me. Truly transformational.

Eight sessions and thousands of words later, the group published its first collection of writing, Callanish Writes, Volume I, in April of 2008. The brave work of this inaugural group has paved the way for others in the community to explore the written word as a means of transformation and healing during and after illness. As the final entry of the collection, writer Leah C’s poem, “I am,” beautifully articulates the return to wholeness we each seek as part of this ongoing exploration. May such dialogue with ourselves and our community always be part of the journey.

I am

I am
sacred
inside
sometimes
I sense it
within
the soul cells
amid
incense
taste of wine
a curved neck
and stilltime
permeating
the cathedral
a silent mantra
to Mary
or White Tara
on the radiation table
Watching water
rush
and making
its music
breathing
beside a tree


Somewhere inside
I am
the inner Sanctum
the Temple
Divine
where
Isis
gives me silver wings
and says
Now
Fly

***

Becoming a part of the Callanish community in May 2006, Kirsten's ongoing journey with lymphoma has led her to further explore the transformative power of writing during illness. She holds degrees in literature and journalism and her work has appeared across Canada, in print, radio and television. She is also certified by Amherst Writers & Artists as a writing workshop facilitator.

Images from the 2008 Power of Words Conference

Photos from top left, clockwise: Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg and Kelley Hunt; Heather Mandell and Kathleen Connolly; Marienala Medrano-Marra; Julia Alvarez, Marianela Medrano-Marra and Adele Nieves; Reggie Marra; India Rassner-Donovan and Sherry Reiter. Thanks to Kelley Hunt and Marianela Medrano-Marra for photos.

Rick Jarow to Present at Conference

Rick Jarow, the author of the highly acclaimed Creating the Work You Love, will also be a presenter at the Power of Words conference. More than ever before people are looking for non-traditional careers and work environments. From job sharing and telecommuting to fruit bouquets and blogging we're seeing the traditional 9 to 5 jobs becoming marginalized. The time is right to "find your bliss." Jarow will help bring you one step closer!

I have to say that this lineup is pretty impressive for the money. It's not too late to sign up. It's a great location (gorgeous Vermont in the fall), great people and a great educational opportunity.

Bread and Puppet to perform at Conference

Not only will you attend fantastic workshops at the Power of Words conference but you'll also be entertained by one of the best radical theatre companies ever. Yes, Bread and Puppet will be there to delight attendees. Bread and Puppet was launched as a response to the increasingly capitalist force that has changed the artistic world. The theatre strives to bring art back to its original purpose - the pure creation of art. Art is as necessary to the human experience as food. The theatre is also known for its impactful social commentary. It's sure to be an eye-opening and wildly entertaining performance.

Kelley Hunt to Perform at Power of Words

Artist Kelley Hunt will perform at the Power of Words Conference this September. She is a renowned recording audience, film scorer, teacher, songwriter, and workshop facilitator. Her work is insightful, prolific and soulful.

Hunt will be available during the conference for individual consultation with conference attendees.

There's still time to register for the conference, so don't miss out!

Walter Mosley at Power of Words Conference

Walter Mosley, the highly acclaimed author of over 2 dozen books, will be one of the keynote speakers at The Power of Words Conference, September 12, 2008 through September 15, 2008, at Goddard College in Plainfield, Vt.

Mosley burst into the American consciousness in 1990 with his book, Devil in a Blue Dress. His works of fiction and non-fiction have earned him numerous awards including the O'Henry Award and the Anisfield Wolf Award for increasing the understanding of race in America.

Mosley will be one of several notable guests at the conference. I'll highlight each in the days ahead. Of all the conferences that writers have to choose from, this is sure to be the one you'll take away a lot of value and incite from. Register now.

Memorial Day

Although the study of Transformative Language Arts is still emerging and defining itself, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances have been writing down their stories in order to find peace for hundreds of years. As a result, we have hundreds of first hand accounts of circumstances like surviving abuse to survival at sea.

In the coming years we will continue to find examples of this. Recently, I watched an episode of 60 Minutes. One of the stories highlighted veterans recently home from Iraq and the issue of post traumatic stress disorder. Apparently the armed forces are better at training how to kill than with training citizens how to make the transition back to civilian life. One man, Jesse Odom, said he dealt with what he saw and what he did by locking himself in his room with a six pack and writing into the wee hours of the morning. As a result of those writing sessions, those "purification rituals," his book Through Our Eyes is being published this Memorial Day weekend. It is being heralded as a raw account of what our troops go through on a daily basis in Iraq and is sure to become a record of the experiences of a generation.

The Power of Words conference: Liberation through the Spoken, Written and Sung Word

Sept. 12-15, 2008, Goddard College, Plainfield, VT.

Seek greater freedom and transformation for yourself and your community through the power of words at this unique gathering of people who write, tell stories, perform, and do other language arts. Make community with others in the emerging field of Transformative Language Arts, and discover ways to make a living doing what you love.

Keynoters:
* Walter Mosley, author of 29 books, including The Year You Write Your Novel;
* Bread and Puppet Theatre Company;
* Kelley Hunt, international rhythm and blues singer-songwriter;
* Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love;
* Sherry Reiter, poetry therapy pioneer; the Afrikana Madonna performing spoken word soul; and
*Lewis Mehl-Madrona, author of Coyote Medicine and native American physician and shaman.

Over 25 presentations by writers, storytellers, performers, community leaders, medical professionals, songwriters, healers, and social change artists include Janet Aalfs, Callid and Kristina Keefe-Perry, Elizabeth “Beth” Hin, Marianela Medrano-Marra, Reggie Marra, and Evelyn Torton Beck, and Kelley Hunt & Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg leading a full-day pre-conference workshop on making a living through the arts. Organized by Goddard College’s Transformative Language Arts concentration, this conference features hands-on workshops, performances, open readings & celebrations at the peak of fall foliage. Conference costs start at $210 for registration plus additional fees for pre- and post-conference workshops. Lodging and all meals on campus begin at $216/double or $276/single. Some partial scholarships available including scholarships through the Roxanne Florence Fund for people of color. Work-study positions available. Professional and poetry therapy hours available. Complete schedule and registration at www.goddard.edu/powerofwords or call Denise at Denise.Whitesides-Skeeba@goddard.edu, 802/454-8311, x204.

NOTE: Early bird registration until June 1st!
Special Pre-Conference Amherst Writers & Artists Training: AWA is pleased to offer its four-day Writing Group Leadership Training, an intensive in the AWA writing group method and its application to writers of all levels and from diverse backgrounds, at before the conference Sept. 8-12, 2008 at the college, and for a reduced rate (please see http://www.amherstwriters.com/ for further information, and to register.


Transformative Language Arts, part of Goddard College’s individualized MA program (www.goddard.edu/masterarts_individualized), is a 48-hour MA degree in social and personal transformation through the spoken and written word. Goddard College, a pioneer in progressive education, encourages its students to become creative, passionate, lifelong learners, working and living with an earnest concern for others and for the welfare of the Earth. http://www.goddard.edu/