Poetry of Reclamation

Memories and Mythos: Identifying your sacred stories and recurrent personal themes through poetry 

Myths are sacred stories of great importance. They help describe the world’s creation and the development of cultures across time. Often the line between myth and memory is blurred or interwoven through their telling and retelling. And the same is true with our personal narratives. 

Where we come from, who we are, and the events that shape our lives are imbued with complexity and contradiction. What have you inherited from past generations? What patterns continue to reveal themselves in your life? Who are the gods and goddesses, protagonists, and villains that you interact with? In a time of rapid innovation and progress, at any cost, what does it look like to slow down enough to identify what remains constant in our inner worlds? 

In this four-week poetry workshop, we will befriend persistent themes and uncover sacred stories that narrate our journeys. We will examine examples of poets who write about life’s patterns, myths, and memories. New writing will be generated each week and we will share and examine each other’s work, offering supportive feedback and thoughtful suggestions. Whether you are new to poetry or a seasoned poet, this workshop will take you on a journey of unmatched depth and personal discovery. 

Date

October 25, 2023 - November 15, 2023

Time

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Cost

$395

Location

Online
Cassandra Rockwood Rice Ghanem

Instructor

Cassandra Rockwood Rice Ghanem
Website
http://www.cassandrarockwoodghanem.com

Cassandra Rockwood Rice Ghanem holds a BA from California Institute of Integral Studies and an MFA in Creative Writing from California College of the Arts. Her award-winning poems and creative nonfiction have been published locally and internationally. In 2022, Nomadic Press published Cassandra’s first poetry collection, Hot Thicket, and she is currently in the final stages of editing a book-length lyric essay. Also the illustrator of Basho’s Haiku Journeys, a haiku picture book, Cassandra derives her versatility through prolific creative experimentation and cross-pollination between artistic disciplines and literary forms. Cassandra upholds values of diversity and inclusion, and has taught workshops and classes at community centers, high schools, colleges, and universities in Alaska, Hawaii, and California. In 2019, Cassandra led a year-long literary reading series for women and non-binary writers at The Beat Museum in San Francisco.