Description
ad·vent /ˈadˌvent
the arrival of a notable person, thing, or event.
Advent, among other things, is a season of transition. It is a time of waiting, of uncertainty. During advent, in the Christian tradition, God was stepping into a new kind of life, a human life, one of intimacy with love and pain. In this story, once again God partners with human agents, calling on Mary and Joseph to help usher in this new chapter for the human family. For all involved, there were big risks taken, and hope resided in the unknowing.
Life is marked by such transitions, such moments of in-between-ness and moments at the threshold. Birth, coming of age, death, marriage, divorce, mid-life, vocational transitions: all of these are significant times of transition—seasons of advent. Across time, cultures, and religions, humans have gathered together in just such times to stand with one another at these thresholds. We danced. We sang. We wrote poetry. Poetry was never meant to be relegated to castle courtyards or stuffy classrooms– it belongs at the fire, it belongs with the dance. Come join us for a full-day poetry retreat in which we will play with poetry, reclaiming the music within all of us. We will use poetry to honor, celebrate, grieve, and perhaps even sing with one another as we honor our own thresholds and transitions: our own seasons of advent. Writers of all levels, novice to poet laureate, are invited to join and enrich this group exploration of the creative mind.
Registration
The cost of this retreat is $68 ($78 with lunch)
Register before November 7, 2019 for a $10 discount!
About the Presenter
Alexandra Donovan (Alex Martin) is a hospice chaplain with Compassus Hospice in Fort Collins, Colorado, and a poet. She received her bachelors in Religious Studies from Stanford University and her MFA in poetry from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has taught poetry and writing-to-heal workshops at The Natural Funeral Parlor in Lafayette, CO, UC Health Anschutz (with the Denver Lighthouse Writers Workshop) in Aurora, CO, the Fort Lyon Supportive Residential Community in Las Animas, CO, the Motherless Daughters of the San Gabriel Valley, CA, Stillpoint Center for Spiritual Direction in Southern California and Ghost Ranch, NM, for the Spiritual Living Center for Education & Training in Golden, CO, and more. Her first chapbook of poetry, Mother Stump, came out in August 2018 from Yak Press. Alex lives in Fort Collins with her husband, her cat, and her chameleon. You can find more about her and her work at amdonovan.com.