Poetry Collection Shows Transformative Power of Collaborative Writing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aug. 4, 2016

For more information and interviews:

Tracy Lee Karner (401-479-1429)

rosehallmedia@gmail.com

Rose Hall Media Company

St. Cloud, MN

POETRY COLLECTION SHOWS TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF COLLABORATIVE WRITING

ST. CLOUD, MN – Words have power, and when crafted into a poem, they have unifying power. “Thursdays at 2” (Rose Hall Media, 2016) shows that poetry can build relational bridges of respect and understanding.

When the West Bay poets began to write as a collective, they soon realized how poetry could help them appreciate that “in our essential humanity all of us are very much the same.” After meeting for three years, they committed to bringing the transformative effect of collaborative writing to everyone.

They took their poetry to coffee shops in their village, then out to other groups in the state of Rhode Island, and now, their published work is available to everyone worldwide.

“Thursdays at 2” is a touching and vivid volume of poems that “gladden the heart.” The book also provides a word-map for others to create connections and poetry with a purpose.

This circle of emerging and volunteer poets, all connected to West Bay Residential Services in Rhode Island, gathered weekly on Thursday afternoons. Many hadn’t written poetry before. Others had earned awards for their work. Together, they discovered that by creating poetry together, they were better able to see and listen to each other with care and respect.

They have published a slim volume to help other groups build unity. Organized to reveal how combined voices take poems along “an unpredictable path,” the book also includes a nine-step guide explaining how to make use of prompts found in the introductions to each poem.

Prompts are drawn from renowned poets’ work and offer an accessible, simple introduction to poems ranging from ancient through contemporary times. Tu Fu from the Chinese Tung Dynasty inspired the poem “Beaches,” and 19th century poet Christina Rosetti had a hand in “It’s Not about Clouds.” Current poet laureate of New Hampshire Alice B. Fogel inspired “Rhododendron.”

Through this method of letting established poems inspire new poems, evocative and visual lines emerged, such as “Hugs that taste like butterscotch and raindrops” in “A Poem to Celebrate Birthdays” or “Our reflection in a frozen pond will show we are not the jacket//or the closet hibernating by the door” in “What We Are in Winter.”

“There are benefits and satisfaction in communal poetry writing,” says Tracy Lee Karner who served as a group facilitator and editor of the book. “We know that if others use our methods, the results are consistently powerful and moving.”

In addition to being a solid gathering of poems offering ways for any group to create collaborative writing, the sales from the volume help fund creative ventures, including innovative living options, and creative day and employment supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Preorder your copy at amazon.com “Thursdays at 2”.

What does #CollaborativeWriting look like? Watch the #ThursdaysAt2 video for behind-the-scene insights into how this special group uses poetry to build community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNIguwrUjl4