|
Greetings,
I'm thrilled and humbled to begin my term as the next Kansas Poet Laureate July 1, 2009, building on the superb work of our current poet laureate, Denise Low. I'm writing to let you know about my poet laureate project as well as other opportunities for your
community, and I'm writing months before my term begins because the Kansas Arts on Tour program is now accepting applications that will be funded on a first-come, first-serve basis for the next fiscal year (beginning 7/1/09).
My vision is to foster writing communities around the state that can eventually sustain themselves and run on their own power. After over 15 years of traveling around Kansas with the Kansas Arts Commission and Kansas Humanities Council, I've witnessed many writers
who yearn for inspiration, an audience, and the irreplaceable day-to-day support of other writers. /Poetry Across Kansas: Reading and Writing Our Way Home, /my poet laureate project, would allow me to visit communities around the state to offer writing workshops and
readings, and a special training session for community members to learn how to facilitate ongoing writing circles. People who go through this training would receive several books and booklets full of writing prompts and group facilitation guidance, and they would be
linked through a website to share resources and receive ongoing help.
I've pasted the details of this program below along with other programs I can offer (and it's also possible to have both Denise Low and
me visit to do a program), and I invite you to visit the following sites for further information:
http://arts.ks.gov/kat_roster/visual_literary/mirriam-goldberg.shtml
http://arts.ks.gov/grants_fy10/kat/index.shtml
You can also contact KAC's Christine Dotterweich Bial, Program Manager, Community and Artist Partnerships, 785/368-6544,
christine@arts.ks.gov.
Finally, if you have questions, would like to discuss specific programs for your community, or just find out more, please e-mail me: CarynMirriamGoldberg@gmail.com
Wishing you all the best,
Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg
Mirriam-Goldberg founded
Transformative Language Arts at Goddard College, where she teaches (www.Goddard.edu). She received her Ph.D. and MA from the University of Kansas (poetry, women's studies, mythology), and she is
certified in grassroots organizing from the Midwest Academy, and poetry therapy from the National Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy. She is the recipient of Kansas Arts Fellowship in Poetry, the Rocky Mountain National Park artist-in-residency, the City of
Lawrence Phoenix Award, and other honors. |
Laureate Program Description
Poetry Across Kansas -- Reading and Writing Our Way Home: The Poet Laureate project, Writing Across Kansas, strengthens the presence of poetry in Kansas, builds
literary communities statewide, and enhances Kansans' sense of place through poetry. The project brings together new and emerging to create original poems and make community with one another through writing workshops and ongoing poetry circles (facilitated by local
citizens who receive facilitator training and ongoing support through the project). The components of the project are:
Reading and Writing Ourselves Home Poetry Workshops: This writing workshop, open to teens and adults, helps people discover their own best poetry, and how reading
and writing poetry can add greater meaning to their lives and communities. Each workshop, tailored to community needs and interests, draws on Kansas poets for discussion, reflection, study of craft and as writing prompts.
Poetry Circles: One of the greatest gifts for any writer, whether new or experienced,
is community with others who value the written word. To facilitate ongoing Poetry Circles in each community where she leads a writing workshop, Mirriam-Goldberg provides facilitator training (including a resource book of materials and ongoing on-line support) for
writers, educators, health professionals, librarians, and others in each community who are interested in leading (or co-leading) Poetry Circles.
Reading: Along with the writing workshop and poetry circle training and support, Dr. Mirriam-Goldberg will also present a reading of her work, which can also be a
joint reading with workshop participants and/or local poets.
Other Program Offerings
Readings: Mirriam-Goldberg also is available for poetry, memoir and fiction readings of her own work wherever she travels. Readings
may range from 20 – 90 minutes in length, and may be combined with a community reading of other writers in the community.
Presentation-Workshops: Presentations, which combine a talk and short writing workshop, are available on a wide variety of topics,
such as:
●
Writing from the Earth: Poetry and Sense of Place
●
The Care and Feeding of the Writer: Sustaining Yourself in Your Craft
●
Writing, Readings and Performance: Getting Your Work Out There
●
The Spirit of Words: Writing as Life Practice
●
Writing and Living Through Serious Illness
●
Arts-Based Workshop Facilitation
●
Writing Your New Story: Mythology and Poetry
|
