[ poetry ]

Prayer Poems: Writing Toward the Absent Divine, with K. Henderson

  • 4 weeks long = $320 total / person

  • meets sundays 11am-1pm eastern time

  • virtual (Zoom + Google Docs)

How can prayer change us and the people around us? How can poetry become a medium for spiritual change, or a pathway to desired enlightenment? Can poetry be a practice of prayer?

In this generative workshop, participants will take inspiration and guidance from an in-depth study of five or six poets who engage with prayer, examining how (and why) their work integrates contemplative spiritual traditions with the literary arts. By seeking insight into the boundless relationships between divinity, creativity, and language, we’ll learn to write poetry that grounds us in openness to experience, in affirmation of what is.

This course is ideal for poets interested in transcending linear, cause-effect thinking in favor of other forms of awareness. It will also benefit writers interested in poetry as an aspect of self-care, healing, or emotional growth. People of all faiths and religions, as well as writers unfamiliar with (but open to exploring) spirituality, are invited to apply.

This workshop will welcome spiritual teacher, Megan Cauley, as guest facilitator in at least one session. Read more about Megan below.

  • K. Henderson is a Cave Canem fellow and the author of the poetry chapbook Cruel Maths or Kind Proof (Black Warrior Review 47.1). Their poems appear in AGNI, ANMLY, Beloit Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. K. has a BA from Bennington College and is in the third and final year of an MFA in Poetry at the University of Pittsburgh, where they were a 2020 Artist-in-Residence at the Department of Physics and Astronomy. K. writes poetry, fiction, and literary/film criticism.

    K. has taught writing at the university level for over two years. As a writing coach, K. emphasizes craft through intuition, attention, and curiosity. They strongly believe in intuition as the basis of critical analysis--and that critical work can be approached through a creative modality. K. loves working with writers from all walks of life who want to break out of their comfort zone, ready to expand the notion of what is possible for themselves and their work. Expect personalized reading recommendations, careful attention to language, and constructive encouragement.

    You may find K.'s work, play, and experiments online here.

  • Megan Cauley is a professional yoga and mindfulness teacher, astrologer, and devoted seeker. Through teaching and consultations, she shines a light on our interconnectedness with each other and all of nature through the language of metaphor, somatic experience, and guided meditation.