Creative Workshops 2007
Feb Writing Newsletter
My task of tasks is to discover what myth is shaping me. (Jung)
Dear writer
Have you seen the writer’s movie, Stranger than Fiction? One morning while
brushing his teeth, counting the brush strokes, a man hears a female voice in
his head narrating his life. Her words sound and echo beyond his capacity for
language. The man gradually becomes conscious of the fictionality of his life
as he breaks through habits into the vitality of his story.
This is one of the gifts of story. Since
the body does not distinguish between reality and imagination, stories can
release us from struckness and invoke, through the senses, movement, response
and change.
Poem Poem Poem (PPP) Making Poetry
Introduction
To Poetry
I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide
or press an
ear against its hive.
I say drop a
mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,
or walk inside
the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.
I want them to
water-ski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.
But all they
want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.
They begin
beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.
Billy Collins (Years ago I attended one of his workshops in
This is what we will be doing (and not
doing) in the new email four-month poetry course (March -June 07.) Bob Commin, poet,
writer, storyteller, pastor, and I will be running this. There will be a syllabus (poets to be savoured), input on poetic
technique (rhythm, image, cadence, metre, rhyme) an assignment section and group
conversations around your work. Want to join? Flyer on request.
Write
Write Write: Writers’
Development: Email Course (WWW)
The third WWW (Write Write Write) course in
life story and fiction is about to begin - Feb- May 07. This time round aspirants
from
Launch of Drawing Water
Come Tues 27 Feb, if you are anywhere near
Workshops : Egoli and
The River Journey: Using Images to Enrich
your Writing
Keep writing in the dark…
Words that may have the power
to make the sun rise again
(Denise Levertov)
As human beings we are forever comparing.
(“My love is like a red red rose.”) And when we compare, we stumble on hidden
connections.
This workshop is about using imagery in our
writing. An image is a bolt of energy from the writing blue. It’s about
developing a new way of seeing that opens to adventure. For images are about
the unexpected. We consider how words create new realities.
Beginner writers are welcome.
Egoli:
Sun 4 Feb R420 (
Bobotie, Bosman and Boerewors Fri 2 March
The
It is not the story that counts. It's
the way you tell it (Oom Schalk Lourens)
I’ll be offering a few Bosman classics on
the banks of the
Men, Women and Masks (with Bob Commin)
16-18 March Fri eve
to Sun after lunch in the hills of Ixopo…
KZN Ixopo Buddhist Retreat
Centre 039 834 1863 brcixopo@futurenet.co.za
The true purpose of masks is not
concealment but transformation. A culture of masks is one that understands the
process of metamorphosis (Salman Rushdie)
This journey involves mask
making, writing, story-telling, poetry and land art. We explore
the masks that we wear in relation to each other. Over this weekend men
meet men, women meet women and then men and women meet in
dialogue. We will seek in nature items to adorn our masks.
Please bring crayons, pastels, glue, masking tape.
Looking to autumn…. The Helderberg Writing
Escape (Helderberg School of Writing) 1-6 May 07 (see Nov 06
Bookings are rolling in for this five day
writing extravaganza. We’re only accepting 10 participants. Jo Castro and I had much fun with the 2006
group. 2006 participants write: “The workshop was excellently run and so inspirational.” (MC)” I valued the atmosphere of openness and
trust.” (PM) “I loved the personal attention and the participation” (GH)
We’ll be writing and mentoring at a wine farm and in
the Helderberg Nature Reserve. The escape offers exploration, discovery and personal attention as we live the life of writers. Jo is an international
freelance journalist who coaches in the genres of magazine writing, travel and
copywriting.
Mentoring
I wish to acknowledge the life and death of
Peter Hunter. The family is writing the story of their involvement in the
apartheid 70’s and 80’s. Peter sent me
the next chapter a week ago, the day before he died. The book will continue. To Lucienne and
Catherine and to other members of the family, I think of you as you grieve and
give gratitude for the life of a man of courage, humility and integrity.
A
Publishing
Kathy Chenault whom I mentored, (before
I'm working as nonfiction editor for a
literary journal preparing to launch its first edition. I urge you to
encourage your writing friends to submit their work for possible publication.
The journal, Quay, will be
publishing poetry, plays, memoir, fiction and nonfiction. Anyone interesting in
submitting should visit the website: quayjournal.org and follow the link to
submissions.
Workshops
with other Folk
West coast creative writing with Gillian Barton 022-492-2562 / 072-206-0594
Do you
keep a journal or like to write when you’re on holiday?
Perhaps you’re a closet poet or songwriter?
Have you an unwritten story waiting to be told?
Regardless of your experience, if you enjoy writing, come together
with a few others and write in beautiful surroundings.
Next course: 8 Mondays
Venue: Rosemary, Long Cottage,
The Towers Farm, Darling
Cost: R760 for the 8 sessions
Tredicis in the
If you want to write, seek the company of
writers. Paul and Fadelah host Hugh Hodge’s Off
the Wall Poetry readings – mid and last Wed of every month.
(hahodge@gmail.com). I host Between the
Covers Story-Telling evening first Thurs of every month. Next story eve 8
Feb). Both these evenings begin with an invited poet / story-teller then it’s
open mike. Bring your words or come and listen.
May you hear a voice in your inner year - narrating, dreaming
you.
Dorian
PS Thank
you to all those who circulate this
letter. Sign off if you need to.
Dr Dorian Haarhoff
021 855 3937 / 082 873 6802/ fax 086
511 4751
http://dorianhaarhoffwriter.homestead.com