Newest workshop for 2012: I Have A First Draft: Shaping and Feedback

Did you participate in NanoWriMo?  Do you have a book project or longer writing project or short story that could use some motivating guidance? 

The writer John Cheever said "I can't write without a reader.  It's like a kiss - you can't do it alone."

A three part workshop series over three months. Develop your first draft into a refined piece through monthly feedback in a small dedicated group of writers while learning techniques for structuring and revising your book as well as tips on publishing.  $135. Call for more info!

10 - 1:30 pm
1/22,  2/5, and 3/11 

Moonshine Ink reviews Tangled Roots Writing Workshops

Read the article here

Truckee’s International Peace Day Celebration: Collaborative Peace Poem Project

In celebration of International Peace Day on Sept. 21st, For Goodness Sake hosted a Peace Day in the Regional Park.  At my table for Tangled Roots Writing I collected a few words about Peace from many many people.  Here is the collaborative poem that grew from those words:

 Inhale, Hold, Exhale

1.

Commune with the trees

outside the window, birds

that stare from their branches, 

the homeless man

that sleeps in a doorway.

Silence the thoughts

of dishes with your name on them,

finding a daycare provider,

all the other "ands."  

Listen to the sound of a pendulum clock.

Still water, cool and fresh,

mountain lakes, warm salty ocean, waves lapping,

crashing. Sunday afternoon

at your grandmother's house, the whisper

of golf.

Respect

tangled roots, iridescent wings,  movement

from here to now. Peace

is an unknown entity.

Rain,

a warm breeze

blows through the aspens,

snow floats on a cold winter night,

a blanket of green

encircles the earth, a piece of me.

Watch children play,

a river flow

and a garden thrive, a silent

cliffside trail, a summit

in mind.

Sit on grandmother’s porch, listen

to the rain fall.

Peace is freedom

from worry.

Begin within, pour outwards -

belong in this world.

Peace is a purple New Jersey!

Peace means happy.

2.

Learn –

the mountain looks blue today.

Explore the possibilities:

compassion

for your fellow earthling

that tailgates,

for yourself when you swear at him.

Soften,

creature of intention.

Forgive love:

wise and unconditional and blind,

the passion of dolphins, open

and hearted, full of mind.

3.

If you want peace, a piece of me,

work for justice, feed the hungry.

Love.

Play.

Listen to the call within.

Connect with the earth’s crust,

the vibrant colors of rock and tree,

around and around. No fear within,

surrounded by surprise.

Peace is not

an absence of war

but instead

an absence of strangers.

Can you hear me?

When the compassionate

heart wins over the mind

and you love what is before you,

maybe the peace in you

will help the children get along,

help the world have peace,

a harmony with hands holding each other up,

singing and serenity

throughout the whole universe.

Peace is a deep breath.

Newest workshop offering is for Teens preparing College Application essays

“These College Essays Are Driving Me Crazy”

Workshop for Teens

Join this fun and creative group for help developing your college application essays. Find the heart and voice of your writing.

^{Call for more information.}

Collaborative Poem Project at Truckee Thursday 6/16

At the first Truckee Thursday of the summer, I set up a booth for Tangled Roots Writing and asked anyone willing to try for a few words in response to a quote by Jane Hirshfield's quote "Journey far enough into the terrain of language, it seems, and the heart will begin to speak."

So many people responded that their index cards covered my bulletin board three cards deep. Using only their words and phrases, I composed this collaborative poem - I hope you enjoy reading poetry that can only exist through the collaborative efforts of many many Truckee people.


Begin to Speak: a collaborative poem from Truckee Thursday 6/16

Heart pointed to the moon, a friend living close by –
far is far from how far?
When he began to speak
(the first word I understood)
he was emphatic;
a roughness implied, or uncertainty,
perhaps not his first word.
If you are still and can be silent you may start to hear
the words you have been longing.
Scream.
Heart will begin to speak, above ground and below,
places we aren’t familiar with but must cross through.
Lost souls, our purpose, heartreason.

On the other side of any journey
I want to be
waiting for the next step,
filled so big with so much. Every time
I hear of a trip taken far away
I enjoy my town more and more.
How far is far away?
Begin to speak
of the mind where the heart leads;
environment to lose yourself, a road trip
or a relationship. On the other side of the journey
I will be a baby. I am going to persevere
and love. Today is my day.

He rolled the word around
in his mouth, riding on it.
Get back on
into the language within us.
Write mindlessly. Eat another muscateer.
Rise from the wild,
a phoenix.
Journey well
deep and sound, under a tunnel
ride the escalator.
When he knew that I knew what he said he almost cried.

One-on-One Writing Project Coaching

In addition to the writing workshops, I offer one-on-one coaching for writing and book projects. I can help with concept and craft, form and structure, as well as project planning and deadlines. Currently I am working with several writers and the coaching is tailored to each individual project; some writers work remotely and others meet with me weekly or monthly. Email me at tangledrootswriting at gmail dot com if you are interested in discussing whether coaching would help your project.

30 poems in 30 days success!

In November I committed to write 30 poems in 30 days of November to raise money for Center For New Americans, an organization in Western Mass. that helps families with literacy and work training. How often can poetry be so directly connected to outreach?

Along with many other poets, we raised over $20,000 dollars for the Center for New Americans - thank you everyone who donated!