Thank you for your interest in our writing retreat. Registration is now closed. If you missed registering for this event, please keep in mind we typically hold our writing retreat annually. Also, please subscribe to our email list for news and updates about upcoming programs. We may be hosting a virtual writing retreat in February or March 2023.
Wild and Precious Life:
A Men's Writing Retreat Inspired by the Works of Mary Oliver
RETREAT SUMMARY
At this year's in-person writing retreat, we will soak in the wisdom and beauty of the poetry of Mary Oliver. We will use the fire and water of her words to illuminate and wash over our own lives. We will try to capture our thoughts on paper. We will share our journey over the course of a full weekend retreat.
Poet Mary Oliver
Our spirit guide will be a woman. One of the best known and loved poets in the world, Mary Oliver won both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry. Her strong feminine voice has much to teach men.
Mary Oliver’s poetry is marked by accessible language, astute observations, and intriguing, challenging questions. Yes, What will you do with your one precious life?
Before Mary Oliver’s death in 2019, her practice was to get up early in the morning and wander through nature with a notebook in her pocket. Many of her poems contain her observations about nature. We will follow her lead in this respect as we gather at the Bergamo Center which is situated on 150 acres of land. We, too, will zip up our coats, put on our hats and gloves, and venture out into the winter landscape to wander and write. Of course, we will also have the option to open our notebook, pull up a chair, sip our tea or coffee, and look out the window.
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Illuman is dedicated to helping men on a spiritual journey. That quest is what this writing retreat is about. We choose this time in early January because we are naturally planning for the year ahead of us, and also looking to root ourselves in the here and now.
You don't have to think of yourself as a poet to greatly benefit from this Illuman writing retreat. The weekend is open to men of all writing experiences—from complete novice to published author. We mainly focus on sharing our journey. Poetry is one vehicle to help us. You won't have to worry about rhyming, cadence, nor other aspects of some classical poetry. In fact, you don't even have to write poetry. You could choose to do a series of journal entries instead, or some combination of journaling and poetry.
The retreat is broken up into six writing experiences. Each experience will begin with some inspiration from Mary Oliver's work that leads to a writing prompt. After the writing period, all participants will take part in small council groups. Sharing work is optional but strongly encouraged.
We will gather as a large group, but we will also experience some one-on-one time with another participant, as well as small group councils. We will have a relaxed schedule and an extended lunch and wandering on Saturday. All this is to say that the retreat has a lot of variety in it. You won't be sitting watching experts talk about poetry. You will be invited to be fully involved.
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This will be the sixth year for the writing retreat sponsored by Ohio Illuman. We are thrilled to invite men from around the world to join us in this reflective writing journey as we gather in person to share our real-life experiences.
Do you live outside of Ohio? The Bergamo Center is nearby the Dayton airport. One of our volunteers will be glad to transport you to and from the airport.
We begin with dinner on Friday and finish with lunch on Sunday. In between we will immerse ourselves in ritual, writing, discussion, rest, and fellowship. Don't waste this one precious chance to be with other men on the journey of Illumination. Join us in Dayton at the Bergamo Center!
RETREAT DETAILS
WHEN
Friday - Sunday
January 6-8, 2023
WHERE
Bergamo Center for Lifelong Learning
4400 Shakertown Rd
Dayton OH 45430
www.BergamoCenter.com
COST
$275*
Price includes single occupancy lodging with private bath.
Meals provided begin with dinner on Friday, breakfast/lunch/dinner on Saturday, and breakfast/lunch on Sunday.
(*Discounted early bird registration ends on December 5, 2022.)