NEW! Creative Writing Workshop & Course at the inspiring PranaStar Yoga Studio, Eastbourne

Eastbourne, photo by sean, © 2010

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

You are warmly invited to join us for a
One-Day Creative Writing Workshop
and/or a
6-week Creative Writing Course
at the PranaStar Yoga Studio in Eastbourne, East Sussex.

The One-Day Creative Writing Workshop will be held
Sunday, 14 February, 10 am to 3 pm,
with an approximately one-hour-long lunch break from 12 to 1 pm.

The 6-Week Creative Writing Course will begin
Sunday, 21 February, 10 am to 12 noon.
** Please note that classes will NOT meet on
Sunday, 14 March or Sunday, 28 March
due to yoga immersion weekends at the PranaStar Yoga Studio.
Therefore, the 6-week course will run through Sunday, 11 April. **

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
The one-day workshop and the 6-week course are
ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHERE: The PranaStar Yoga Studio, 3a Cornfield Lane, Eastbourne, BN21 4NE (tel. 07727 124097).

HOW MUCH: £95. Must pre-register.

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for the workshop or course, or for more information,
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Writing for Winter: New-Year Writing Courses & Workshops

Mayfield, New Year's Day, photo by sean, © 2010

Dear Friends and Fellow Writers & Practitioners,

Firstly, I send each of you warm winter regards on this cold and snow-laden afternoon, as well as well wishes for the new year and decade now underway.

Although new years and decades are rather arbitrarily designated, I find they can serve as helpful milestones for personal reflection, where we've been, what the pivotal points were which carried us from years and decades past to where we are now, and what we might like to work toward in the coming year and decade. And writing is a wonderful way to explore these considerations, to help us process them, and to sow seeds of quiet reflection which might bear fruit in the days, months, years and decades to come.

Secondly, below is a listing of upcoming 6-week courses and one-day (Saturday) writing workshops which can facilitate this process of personal reflection and help us to honor our present-moment experience:

6-Week Creative Writing Course:

• Mayfield: Tuesdays, January 19 through February 23, 10 am to 12 noon (venue: Rose & Crown function room, Fletching St.)

• Lewes: Wednesdays, January 20 through February 24, 10 am to 12 noon (venue: Subud Centre, 26a Station St.)

• Mayfield: Thursdays, January 21 through February 25, 7 to 9 pm (venue: Rose & Crown function room, Fletching St.)

One-Day Creative Writing Workshops:

• Held each THIRD Saturday of the month throughout 2010. Upcoming workshops include: January 16, February 20 and March 20. Participants are also welcome to join us for each month's workshop.
  
  These are held at the Lewes Subud Centre, located at 26a Station St., and run from 10 am to 3 pm, with an approximately one-hour-long lunch break from 12 to 1 pm.
  

Fees:

• 6-Week Course: £95 (or £75 if you refer a new student for any course/workshop);
  

• One-Day Workshop: £35 (or £25 with a new-student referral).

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Winter Creative Writing Course (Mayfield)

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This winter you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses in Mayfield, East Sussex
beginning on Tuesday, 24 November, 10 am to 12 noon,
and Thursday, 26 November, 7 to 9 pm.
** Please note that no classes will be held
the week before or after Christmas. **

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
This course is ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available:

1. Tuesdays: 10 am to 12 noon, Nov 24, Dec 1, 8, 15, Jan 5, 12.

- or -

2. Thursdays: 7 to 9 pm, Nov 26, Dec 3, 10, 17, Jan 7, 14.

WHERE: Rose & Crown Inn (Function Room), Fletching St., Mayfield, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95, or £75 with new-student referral. Must pre-register.

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Winter Creative Writing Course (Lewes)

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This winter you are warmly invited to join us for a
6-week Creative Writing Course in Lewes, East Sussex
beginning on Wednesday, 25 November.
** Please note that no classes will be held
the week before or after Christmas. **

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
This course is ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Wednesdays: 10 am to 12 noon, Nov 25, Dec 2, 9, 16, Jan 6, 13.

WHERE: Lewes Subud Centre (Upper Hall), 26a Station St., Lewes, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95, or £75 with new-student referral. Must pre-register.

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Two Poems by Joss Deane

Whistling Wind
(The Track)

Fifteen or so demons, dictating my life
Existence to me is a flicker on the wind.
My feet march forward, never ever nary
Yet my past is anchor to my mind.

The champions were chosen, seemingly picked by fate
It seems my life has been a farcical joke.
I can feel my heart, ever chained by fear
Contain the strength to shatter this life's yoke.

Alone amongst the sirens, tempesting my ears
With familiar promises to grant me truth.
The water buoying, the ever present voice
Of antique knowledge, Isaac, Job and Ruth.

Could this all be ignored, can I live without?
Am I more a ghost of Athens than a man?
Cynicism and irony, I stood ever against
But it cannot continue if the world won't give a damn.

So I mutely wander, both in life and dream,
Watching Hell rise and force creation back.
The wind whistles, the earthy Gods collapse
And evermore I walk this lonely track


Our fields

The sheep bray, full of fear
I offer grass, met with wariness
Following them, notice the tractor
Obscene, the thought of ownership
Of that which i hold most dear

Land not bound by petty law
Individual unto nature
Surely man, not audacious is,
Couldn't have claimed dear Gaia's floor?

The turds of creatures, driven through
By whip or tongue of man? Can't tell
Disgusts my heart as well as mind.
Arcadia rent by farmer's plow

She whispers quick, fidelity intact
The fields primordial will always be
This Arcadia remains untouched
Her old secrets her marriage pact

Their ancient roads and silent spots
Promote good nature's lofty state
Her nooks and crannies her own to share
Our fields and ferns her natal cots

© copyright 2009 by Joss Deane. Joss, 15 years old, is the grandson of Suzanne Staniforth.

Saturday Writing Workshops (Lewes, East Sussex)

Southover Grange Gardens, photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

** Due to the success of the One-Day Creative Writing Workshops
run each Saturday throughout the month of August,
we will now be carrying on this tradition every month.
Upcoming workshops will be held on the following
Saturdays: 31 October, 28 November and 19 December.

Throughout 2010, beginning in January, workshops will be held
every third Saturday of the month. **

You are, therefore, warmly invited to join us for one or more of these
One-Day Creative Writing Workshops held in Lewes.
Each Saturday workshop will meet from 10 am to 3 pm,
with a one-hour lunch break from approximately 12 to 1 pm.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These workshops are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: One-Day Creative Writing Workshops

WHEN: Workshops run from 10 am to 3 pm (with a one-hour lunch break) on the following Saturdays: 31 October, 28 November and 19 December. Throughout 2010, beginning in January, workshops will be held every third Saturday of the month. So, mark your calendar, and pre-register as soon as possible to reserve a place in one or more of these self-contained, one-day workshops. Each workshop will be limited to approximately twelve participants, and places will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, as with our other course offerings.

WHERE: Lewes Subud Centre (Upper Hall), 26a Station St., Lewes, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £35 for each One-Day Workshop (must pre-register; spaces limited). Also, please note the "Referral Discount" section below regarding a discounted £25 workshop fee.

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two Master of Arts degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

REFERRAL DISCOUNT: If you refer a new student who registers and joins us for a workshop, you can likewise join us -- for any workshop date, not necessarily the same date as your referral -- for just £25 instead of £35. Please contact Sean, as noted below, for referral/registration details.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Creative Writing Course (Lewes, East Sussex)

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This autumn you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses in Lewes, East Sussex
beginning on Wednesday, 14 October.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These courses are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available, both running on Wednesdays, from 14 October to 18 November:

1. Mornings: 10 to 12 noon. The morning class meets at the Lewes Subud Centre (Upper Hall), 26a Station St., Lewes, East Sussex.

- or -

2. Evenings: 7 to 9 pm. The evening class meets at the Lewes New School, Talbot Terrace (by the Pells), Lewes, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95 (must pre-register; spaces limited)

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Creative Writing Course (Mayfield, East Sussex)

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This autumn you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses in Mayfield, East Sussex
beginning on Tuesday, 13 October, 10 am to 12 noon,
and Thursday, 15 October, 7 to 9 pm.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These courses are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available:

1. Tuesdays: 10 am to 12 noon, 13 October to 17 November.

- or -

2. Thursdays: 7 to 9 pm, 15 October to 19 November.

WHERE: Rose & Crown Inn (Function Room), Fletching St., Mayfield, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95 (must pre-register; spaces limited)

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Creative Writing Course (Mayfield, East Sussex)

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This September you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses in Mayfield, East Sussex
beginning on Tuesday, 1 September, 10 am to 12 noon,
and Thursday, 3 September, 7 to 9 pm.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These courses are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available:

1. Tuesdays: 10 am to 12 noon, 1 September to 6 October.

- or -

2. Thursdays: 7 to 9 pm, 3 September to 8 October.

WHERE: Rose & Crown Inn (Function Room), Fletching St., Mayfield, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95 (must pre-register; spaces limited)

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

Creative Writing Course (Lewes, East Sussex)

The Glyndebourne Gardens, photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This September you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses in Lewes, East Sussex
beginning on Wednesday, 2 September.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These courses are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available, both running on Wednesdays, from 2 September to 7 October:

1. Mornings: 10 to 12 noon. The morning class meets at the Lewes Subud Centre (Upper Hall), 26a Station St., Lewes, East Sussex.

- or -

2. Evenings: 7 to 9 pm. The evening class meets at the Lewes New School, Talbot Terrace (by the Pells), Lewes, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £95 (must pre-register; spaces limited)

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

One-Day Creative Writing Workshops (Lewes)

The Glyndebourne Gardens, photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

You are warmly invited to join us for one or more
One-Day Creative Writing Workshops
held in Lewes on Saturdays throughout the month of August.
Each Saturday we'll meet from 10 am to 3 pm,
with a one-hour lunch break from approximately 12 to 1 pm.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
These workshops are ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: One-Day Creative Writing Workshops

WHEN: Saturdays, 10 am to 3 pm (with one-hour lunch break), August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.

WHERE: Lewes Subud Centre (Upper Hall), 26a Station St., Lewes, East Sussex.

HOW MUCH: £35 for each One-Day Workshop (must pre-register)

WHO: Sean M. Madden is an American writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Since 2002, he has developed and led creative workshops, and tutored widely in the general humanities and liberal arts, working with school-aged kids, university and post-graduate students, and middle-aged folk through to octogenarians. The programs he creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two master's degrees in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA). As part of these unusually intensive post-graduate programs, he studied philosophy, political and social thought, and literature, as well as ancient Greek and Sanskrit, and translated sizable swaths of Homer's Iliad and the Bhagavad Gita. He earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain, a school he returned to in both 2007 and 2008. Sean is a former entrepreneur, principal management consultant, and Fortune 100 senior financial/marketing analyst. He is also the founder and editor of the Mindful Living Guide website.

To register for a workshop or for more information
please email Sean or telephone him at (07971) 774151.

The Star

by Suzanne Staniforth
Mindful Living Guide
June 19, 2009

Three times, at most, I've seen the star
Perhaps not registering much the first time
The second time it shone in through my window.

I felt somehow it was meant to be —
It stayed absolutely static, never moving
Until the deep dark sky started turning into light.

Only then it faded slowly from my sight
And left me with a sense of loneliness and loss
As we had seemed to share a close connection.

I felt it knew, and was listening to my thoughts
Understood and listened without censure
As if it was aware of all I told it.

Each night for a quarter of a year
I have looked and hoped —
Always just a dark and starless sky.

I know nothing of stellar movement
It may be shining over Israel or over Rome
If that is so, I shall exist on hope and waiting.

Hoping one night it will be in my sky again
I shall then experience joyful reconciliation
A feeling of a void that's filled from space.

Even if it be but brief again
Just to see it shining in, and connecting,
To see the special star will make me whole.

© copyright 2009 by Suzanne Staniforth.

Summer Creative Writing Course in Mayfield ...

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This summer you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses, in Mayfield, East Sussex,
beginning on Thursday, June 25, 7 to 9 pm,
and Tuesday, June 30, 10 am to 12 noon.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
This course is ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHERE: Rose & Crown Inn, Fletching St., Mayfield, East Sussex

WHEN: Two sessions are available:

1. Tuesday mornings: 10 am to 12 noon, June 30th to August 4th

- or -

2. Thursday evenings: 7 to 9 pm, June 25th to July 30th

HOW MUCH: £75 for the 6-week course.

WHO: A writer of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, Sean Madden has developed and led creative workshops with his partner, Rebecca Hurst, since 2002. The programs they create incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two MAs in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain and which, since 2007, he continues to do each summer.

To register for the course or for more information
please email Sean or call him (or Rebecca) at 07971 774151.

Seeking Solace from the Dead

photo by sean, © 2009

by Nikki Macbeth
Mindful Living Guide
June 15, 2009

Seeking solace from the dead,
writers, drunks and
other solitaries we sit
in grassy churchyards,
walled from the relentless din
of age-old commerce outside

Traffic noise is muffled here,
wood pigeons and bumblebees
triumph
over the human voice —
the gargoyles gaze down
in silence

A squirrel darts and weaves,
quicksilver
around a chestnut trunk,
then leaps to the wall
and is gone —
along the length of the wall
old tombstones lean;
huge, uneven stone teeth,
softened and blurred by lichen

The clock is striking six —
the church, anticipating dusk,
draws its grassy skirts
around itself;
and believers and non-believers alike
shift imperceptibly nearer,
reluctant to leave this place

© copyright 2009 by Nikki Macbeth.

Fiction Writing Workshop (Lewes, East Sussex)

photo by sean, © 2009

There must be possible a fiction which,
leaving sociology and case histories to the scientists,
can arrive at the truth about the human condition,
here and now, with all the bright magic of the fairy tale.

~ Ralph Ellison

Early summer is a time of rebirth, renewed engagement
with the world around us, and a sense of our own creative power
blossoming with the warmer weather and sunshine.

This summer you are invited to join us for a 6-week
Fiction Writing Workshop in Lewes, East Sussex,
beginning on Monday, June 29, 10 am to 12 noon.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week Fiction Writing Workshop

WHEN: Monday mornings from 10 am to 12 noon, beginning June 29th and running through August 3rd (meeting at Pastorale Arts, 15 Malling Street, Lewes).

HOW MUCH: £75 for the 6-week course.

WHO: A writer of fiction and poetry, Rebecca Hurst has developed and led creative workshops for adults and children since 2002. The programs she creates incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality. Rebecca earned her BA at Smith College in Massachusetts, studied for a semester in St Petersburg, Russia, and is currently in her final year of the MA in Creative Writing and Personal Development program at the University of Sussex.

To register for the course or for more information
please email Rebecca or call her at 07971 774151.

Summer Creative Writing in Lewes ...

photo by sean, © 2009

So rescue yourself from these general themes
and write about what your everyday life offers you;
describe your sorrows and desires,
the thoughts that pass through your mind
and your belief in some kind of beauty ...

~ Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet

This summer you are warmly invited to join us for one of two
6-week Creative Writing Courses, in Lewes, East Sussex,
beginning on Wednesday, June 24, 10 am to 12 noon,
and Tuesday, June 30, 7 pm to 9 pm.

Writing together, we will explore ways to connect with
the vibrancy of life within ourselves and in the world around us.
This course is ideal for both beginners and more experienced
writers looking for the encouragement, inspiration, and
motivation of a supportive group.

____________________________________________________

WHAT: 6-week course in Creative Writing

WHEN: Two sessions are available:

1. Wednesday mornings from 10 am to 12 noon, June 24th to July 29th (meeting at the Lewes Subud Centre, 26a Station St., Lewes)

- or -

2. Tuesday evenings from 7 pm to 9 pm, June 30th to August 4th (meeting at Pastorale Arts, 15 Malling Street, Lewes)

HOW MUCH: £75 for the 6-week course.

WHO: Writers of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, Rebecca Hurst and Sean Madden have developed and led creative workshops since 2002. The programs they create incorporate an exploration of language, literature, art and spirituality (through mindful awareness). Sean holds two MAs in Western and Eastern (India, China, Japan) thought from the Graduate Institute at St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also earned a BBA in Finance in 1989, immediately after which he taught English at a private summer school in Spain and which, since 2007, he continues to do each summer. Rebecca earned her BA in History and Russian at Smith College in Massachusetts, and is in her final year of the MA in Creative Writing and Personal Development program at the University of Sussex.

To register for the course or for more information
please email Sean or call him (or Rebecca) at 07971 774151.

Nature's Pulse

photo by sean, © 2009

by Dominic Nevill

Mindful Living Guide
May 18, 2009

Let loose the madmen into the woods
To soak and soothe their souls
May energy shoots apace
Like a city in full flow
Stop to listen to the crackle of life
And birdsong and colour and me there
Stripped bare as a child softly floating
Barely touching the ground as I tread the leaves.

Leaving the sea of bluebells perched in perfect light
To delve deeper into the darkening wood
Its womb beckoning deep and dangerous thoughts
Come and go, come and stay awhile
That timeless pain wants its time
Out of the box and into the heart
Vibrate it through the oak, ash and birch,
Till it runs its course.

Birdsong brings me back to the light tight
Swaying in the breeze leaves and makes me pause
Before I climb the hill to home.

© copyright 2009 by Dominic Nevill.

Villanelle

photo by Viva Lewes, © 2009

by Paul Duckett
Mindful Living Guide
April 5, 2009

Rebecca wrote the following introduction to another of Paul's poems which we published in April 2008, and I see no reason to change a word of it. One update, however: In addition to being a good friend, Paul is now a student in my Wednesday morning creative writing course in Lewes. And for those who might be interested in learning more about the challenging villanelle poetic form, click here. Rebecca's introduction follows:

This poem is by my friend and former student, Paul Duckett. Paul is also known in his hometown of Lewes, East Sussex as IDM — or Incredible Dancing Man. He took part in a creative writing and mindfulness course that I led in Lewes in October 2007, and writing and dance are just two of the creative outlets favoured by this warm-hearted free spirit. You can see Paul dance at the Lansdown Arms or on MySpaceTV. There is also a nice profile of Paul in Viva Lewes, Issue 25 (click here for the second page of the Viva Lewes profile to learn more about Paul).

Now might I move onto the floor of dance
And show my body I can surely sway,
As spirit of the music I enhance.

The other drinkers give a startled glance
As I join active sounds in an affray
Now might I move onto the floor of dance.

Around the crowded pub I next will prance
And move throughout the night into the day
As spirit of the music I enhance.

So I may venture to the coast of France
And think, though that is quite a step to stray
Now might I move onto the floor of dance.

Upon the dance floor I do take my stance
The notes and rhythms both for me will play
As spirit of the music I enhance.

With whirling limbs I still do take my chance
As locks of hair grow ever ever grey
Now might I move onto the floor of dance
As spirit of the music I enhance.

© copyright 2009 by Paul Duckett.

The Art of Mindful Living Course (Lewes, E. Sussex)

photo by sean, © 2009

The Art of Mindful Living course will integrate mindfulness meditation, mindfulness practice in our day-to-day lives, an exploration of relevant and inspiring literature (e.g., Thoreau's Walden), and a creative/reflective writing element.

We'll meet on Wednesday mornings from 10 am to 12 noon at the Lewes Subud Centre on Station St. The course runs for eight weeks, from April 29th thru June 17th.

8-Week Course Fee: £95.

To register for the course or for more information
please email Sean or call him (or Rebecca) at 07971 774151.