PONGO POETRY WORKSHOPS

I am a facilitator of the Pongo Poetry method, established by Richard Gold in Seattle. He worked for decades with teens in trauma or at risk and developed a method to engage writing for the first time. Once a person sees that they can write poetry, a whole new world opens up to them. His book published 2014 “Writing with At-Risk Youth” is well established, and has edited over 30 different published anthologies of poetry.  Besides NPR and PBS interviews, his work is practiced in many US cities.

To be a good facilitator is not something that can be taught. One must be a poet to know poetry, and to lead people into the universe of poems. The systems and ideas created by Richard Gold work well for all groups. I have achieved success in grief counseling, improving communication and relationships between partners, spouses and families and with acclimating asylum seekers and refugees to their new country.

CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS

The aim of “Creativity Workshops” is the same as Yoga, but for the imagination. Writers often go to writers’ workshops to hone their skills, and be in a creative environment that invites imagination.

I am currently exploring the devise of ekphrastic writing, using art as a prompt to initiate written response, and I have done several workshops with good success. I have also offered  music as a subject to engage people to write. These are especially interesting for participants in group events, to see how others have found similar and different archetypes in their responses. For professional counselors and creative people in all disciplines, these exercises have a magic to open the imagination.

POETRY IN SCHOOLS, CLASSROOM, EXTRA CURRICULUM

I received my BA in Literature from City College of New York, 1970, with 12 credits in education. Over the years, I have attended numerous post-graduate workshops and lectures. More importantly, as a mature adult, I have the wisdom and patience to work with children and young adults. Poetry is a wonderful vehicle for enhancing reading and writing skills and encouraging independent, critical thinking.

CORPORATE TEAM BUILDING

In today’s world of COVID alienation, poetry is often an untapped resource to help connect people. Groups who share a poem or poetry event together, or when all are prompted to write and share their own poems, cross over into a new level of respect and understanding. It is a very small way to help a team become more responsive to each other in a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere.