A question about questions
A question about questions
What's queried your week?
Hello friends,
Pádraig is in the midst of leading retreats and speaking this week, and enjoying reading many of you in the comments of last weekend's letter. He'll be back next Sunday — in the meantime, he's just booked a talk in San Francisco for the end of May (friends in San Francisco, find details below!).
From the road, Pádraig has sent a question, by way of an invitation for conversation…
What’s an interesting question you’ve been asked this week?
Thanks for joining us here. And for those waiting for the next season of Poetry Unbound to arrive… more on that soon.
— All of us at On Being
Poetry in the World
Australia
May 11: Afternoon seminar on poetry, language and sacred text, and evening interview at St. John’s Cathedral, Brisbane.
Afternoon: 3pm-4:30pm (Tickets and info here).
Evening: 7pm-8:30pm (Tickets and info here).
May 12-13: Poetry Retreat in St. Kilda, Melbourne, in association with Small Giants Academy. Tickets and info here.
May 18: Poetry reading and interview in Sydney at Poetica Petit, with special music performance by Miriam Lieberman, plus an open mic session. 6pm-8pm. Tickets and information here.
USA
Live Reading at Booksmith | San Francisco, CA
The good people at Booksmith are hosting a reading while I’m in town. I’ll be sharing from both Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World and my latest, Feed the Beast. May 29 at 7pm – I’d love to see you. Free admission, registration required. Details here.
Returning and Becoming Conference | Asheville, NC
I’ll be sharing poetry and thoughts at a retreat at Kanuga (near Asheville, NC) on June 13 (morning and evening) and June 14 (morning). Hosted at an Episcopal Retreat Centre, this conference is open to all. My sessions will examine poetry, language, challenge, and change. Details and registration here.
Out of the blue, my 10-year old son asked, "What makes me ME and you YOU?" I stared at him, pondering, and he said, "Seriously, Mom-think about it. Why am I ME?!" Suggestions welcome!🤣
I was sitting across a therapist for my first 1:1 family constellation therapy and between us was a small round table with figurines I had chosen (out of a large collection she had) to represent members of my family. It’s a somewhat hypnotic process, speaking to and from deeper layers of consciousness. Where one chooses to place the figurines says something, has significance. Who is next to whom, who is foreground, background, sitting, standing, close to, apart from... When my parents and siblings were placed on the table, it was time to select the figurine to represent myself. She asked me: “ And where are you?”