Daily Nourishment for May 29, 2024: How to Know It’s Poetry with Guidance from Emily Dickinson
Daily Nourishment Read Time: 40 seconds
Pause/Prompt/Practice Time: 13 minutes
“It seemed to me that what she was doing was much more interesting than what was being done to her.” - Jen Bervin
Pause.
Take six deep breaths with a six-count inhale and a six-count exhale while reading “I Dwell in Possibility” by Emily Dickinson.
Prompt.
“If I read a book [and] it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. These are the only ways I know it. Is there any other way?”
— Emily Dickinson, Letter to Thomas Wentworth Higginson (1870)
Practice.
Set a timer for 10 minutes then journal, take notes, or begin writing a new poem, story, or essay using the quote above and the questions below.
—What works of literature, or other types of art, have thrilled and electrified you over the past few weeks?
—What works of literature or other art types have you engaged with but can't remember much of?
—What do you feel in your body, mind, and soul when you read something powerful and transformative?
—What do you feel in your body, mind, and soul when you write something powerful and transformative?
Want More?
View Jen Bervin’s “Dickinson Composites Series,” a series of large-scale embroidered quilts” depicting “Emily Dickinson’s variant marks in her manuscripts that have been omitted.”
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Upcoming Workshops & Gatherings
—The May Co-Writing Schedule is live. Learn more here.
—Two bonus and complimentary Revision Stations Designed by Lauren Winner gatherings are scheduled for next Saturday, June 1st from 10:15-11:30 a.m. CT and Sunday, June 2nd from 3-4:15 p.m. CT. We had four extra Revision Stations from Lauren that we didn’t get to yesterday, so I’m offering two complimentary Revision Stations gatherings to Spiritual Direction for Writers® subscribers and all SDW Members. If you’re a SDW subscriber, you can sign up by sending an email to me at charlotte@charlottedonlon.com. Anyone who signs up will receive the Zoom link for the Saturday and Sunday sessions. Both sessions will include the same four Revision Station prompts.
Learn more details about these fantastic gatherings here: Revision Stations Designed by Lauren Winner.
—Become a Member by June 15, Get Co-Writing Free through July 31
If you want to write more and nourish yourself so you can have the writing life you want while enjoying the summer months, the Spiritual Direction for Writers Membership is a great support and resource. Anyone who becomes a new Spiritual Direction for Writers Member between now and June 15th will receive FREE unlimited SDW Co-Writing Sessions through the end of July. (Even if you cancel your membership after June.)
—A Gift for All New SDW Members
I have several copies of 1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami Attenberg for my Thoughtful Books Etc. bookshop because this book is fantastic. All new SDW Members who join between now and June 15th will receive a copy of this book in addition to everything above. (This book offer is only available for residents of the contiguous US.)
*All existing SDW Members will receive free unlimited SDW Co-Writing Sessions through the end of July. Members who already have a year of Co-Writing will receive a bonus 30-minute checkin 1:1 Spiritual Direction session during June or July.
Today’s Daily Nourishment was provided by Charlotte Donlon.
*Please help us protect our intellectual property, our creative process, and the integrity of our work. Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment is covered under the Spiritual Direction for Writers® trademark. You are welcome to share this link with others, but any other use (written or spoken) is prohibited without written permission from Charlotte Donlon.