Water. We can’t live without it. Too much of it can be devastating. A material substance, elemental, the fountain of life. The hydrological chameleon that changes form throughout the seasons and affects our moods.
We’ll explore our relationship to water in this evening’s poetry session. Look for a poem that captures your sentiment toward water—especially at this time of year. Bring enough copies to share with the group (8-10 copies should do)—or just come to participate in the discussion with others. Light refreshments will be served.
Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
Spring is in the air--one says hopefully. We've had a rough go of it this winter here in Minnesota. We are all eagerly looking forward to milder days ahead to foster sunnier dispositions. Are there some poets who might also help cheer us with springtime sentiments? What reflection and adulation does the season inspire in you--or that of a much loved poet?
Join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. Whatever gem you find on this month's topic of "spring," bring enough copies for all (8-10 should do). Or just come to participate in the discussion.
Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for Humanists of MN.
This month we will delve into the ancient and multi-faceted concept of “sacrifice.” The very meaning and scope of the notion is broad and deep in human culture. Is it a virtue of which to aspire, a discipline to practice, or a scourge of the human condition to avoid? We will consider what the poets have to say in the matter. As usual, we will discuss the various selections brought by participants.
I invite you to join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. Whatever gem you find on the topic, bring enough copies for all (8-10 should do). Or just come to participate in the discussion.
Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for Humanists of MN.
By the time our poetry group meets this month, Valentines’ Day may well be out of mind. However, our lives need more than a day for sensuality and pleasure—the senses of love. As you rummage through your poetry collections, websites or library books, steer your focus toward the sensuous and pleasurable stimuli in life. Where to find these; how to describe? In relationship or alone, within the natural world or fantasy, amidst the mundane or the extraordinary, what poems and poets capture these senses?
I invite you to join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. Whatever gem you find on the topic, bring enough copies for all (8-10 should do). Or just come to participate in the discussion.
Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for Humanists of MN.
Please join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. This month we will look to poets to speak about the human need for purpose in our lives. Inspirational or probing, whimsical or analytical, the poetry of purpose will be our focus. Whatever gem you find on the topic, bring enough copies for all (8-10 should do). Or just come to participate in the discussion.
Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for Humanists of MN.
What effect does winter have on the human psyche? Whether you love it or hate it, we have to deal with it. Join us for an evening of literary exploration of this harshest season as metaphor, setting, plot or protagonist. Bring a poem that captures the essence of winter for you, or enjoy the poetry selections of others.
As usual, we will read and discuss poetry from each other's collections. Bring some copies to share. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for Humanists of MN.
Please join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. This month we will consider how poets elicit compassion and empathy through their words. Are these essentially emotional responses or do poets help us think critically about our connections to our fellow beings? Photographs have been especially effective at eliciting compassion. Can poetry do the same?
We will read and discuss specially selected poetry. All participants are welcome to bring their own favorite find on the topic, although it is not required. If you do bring a poem (or two), please make copies to share with the group. Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom.
Please join us for another evening of poetry reading and discussion. This month we will focus on poetry for children with its typically creative use of language, rhyme and meter. We’ll consider both the serious and the playful. If you have one, bring a family favorite to share or a fond gem from your youth--along with a few copies to foster discussion. We'll discuss the value of poetry for children (and adults) and enjoy the creativity of poets. Light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom.
Autumn has arrived. With it, many changes. This month our group will focus on poetry that deals with change--whether it be in the natural world, in society, or in one’s personal life. So scour your poetry collections for a poem that speaks to you about change, and if you find one to share, bring along a few copies to aid in the discussion and appreciation of the poem.
As usual, I will bring some poems from my collection and some light refreshments. Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
Anger peppers our society and our homes. Some of it is misplaced or out-of-control; some of it not. One frequently overlooked way of dealing with anger is through poetry. Many poets are particularly adept at capturing this ubiquitous human emotion in creative and often useful ways. Let’s explore how poetry can unleash and direct our anger to good ends.
This month our session will begin with a participatory reading of June Jordan’s angry poem “Kissing God Goodbye.” Written in the face of Operation Rescue, the poem lashes out at religion and patriarchy. Of course we will follow up the group reading with discussion, and then give time to other poetry that participants bring. So if you find a poem that fits this “anger-management” category, bring it along (with some copies) to share.
As always, I’ll have refreshments. And again this month, we’ll be in the air-conditioned room at the end of the long hallway on the right. Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
Summertime….and the livin’ is easy—or not. Summer heat, summer fun; we will consider all things summer at our next poetry gathering. Look through your collections—or someone else’s—to find a poem that speaks to you authentically about summer; bring multiple copies to share to aid discussion. Or, just come and enjoy the poems that I and your fellow poetry lovers bring.
I’ll also bring some light refreshments—or let me know if you’ve got a yummy something to share. This month we will be at the end of the long hallway of classrooms on the right where there will be an air-conditioner. Just in case we need it. :-) Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
Sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves and at life. The absurdity of it all or the sheer fun that can be had in this wild and wonderful world. Some poets are especially good at helping us see the lighter side of life. We don't have to be serious all the time. So hunt down a poem that makes you smile or tickles your funny bone, and if you find one to share, bring along a few copies to aid the discussion and enjoyment of the poem.
May 25th, 2012: The Poetry of Place
A place can define us, destroy us, sustain us, change us. We treasure places as traveling destinations, to make a home in, to retreat to. Poets have that unique ability to capture the power of place in our lives through language. This month, join us for the poetry of place, personal connections to specific geographic locations. As always, I will bring a few poems on this topic from my collection. If you find a meaningful poem that speaks to the power of place, bring some copies to share for discussion. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
This month we will explore our relationship to the natural world through poetry about spring. How has the season been reflected in poetry? As a time of regeneration, of growth, of hope, of new beginnings? Can a good poet help us appreciate or better take stock of the season? Of our lives? I will bring a few poems for us to consider. If you have a favorite spring poem, bring some copies to share for discussion.
We meet from 7-9pm in the FUS library. As usual, light refreshments will be served. Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
March 30th, 2012: Resilience
This month we will read and discuss poetry that speaks to the human trait of “resilience.” Have you come across a good poem that conveys strength of character, determination or courage? What other qualities or experiences foster resilience? Nowadays social psychologists and neuroscientists can provide valuable insights on such a subject, but for inspiration and hope, many of us still look to the poets.
As usual, I’ll bring some poems from my collection to read and discuss together. And, if you can, peruse your own collections or browse library or on-line resources for reflections on resilience and bring 6-8 copies to pass out (for better discussion).
Facilitated by Audrey Kingstrom, Community Coordinator for the Humanists of MN.
