Teaching

Teaching lies at the heart of my love of writing. Here are some examples:

Life writing webinars with change-makers in creative nonfiction. Monthly through 2022.

To register, visit Awakening Spirituality Workshop.

Free and open to anyone who’s curious about writing with a spiritual (however you define it) bent. Hosted by Awakening Spirituality, an online community of seekers. Past guests include: Penny Allport, Hollay Ghadery, Meharoona Ghani, Pam Johnson, Tamara Jong, Jonina Kirton, Ingrid Rose, Lori Sebastianutti, Linda Trinh, Betsy Warland, and more.

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Writing into the Sacred: Speaking to Light online retreat (March 4-6 2022) sponsored by Creating Community West. With a team of gifted facilitators that includes Lana Cullis, Debra Donohue, and Vickie MacArthur. Also a Body & Soul event.

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Remaking the World: The Art of Spiritual Memoir four-week online master class (April-May 2020), co-sponsored by Emmanuel College (University of Toronto) and the Canadian Nonfiction Collective (CNFC), for writing that’s sharp, fresh, relevant–and a puzzle, still, to publishers. We looked at why.

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Write on the French River Creative Writing Retreat Thanks to all who made my annual spring workshops (2013-2019) at the Lodge at Pine Cove memorable and lively! And boundless thanks to the retreat founder, Nicola Ross, and intrepid innkeeper, Alex Strachan.

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Stone by Stone: Writing Spiritual Memoir small-group intensive for community leaders ready to try creative writing. Co-taught with Prajna, of Amida Mosaic Sangha in London, Ontario.

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University courses (sample)

  • The short story
  • Writing in religious studies
  • Sacred places
  • The religious personality
  • Stories and the sacred
  • Religion and imagination
  • Religion and romanticism
  • Christian contemplative literature

Conferences & Community (sample):

In environmental humanities: Narrative Matters Interdisciplinary Conference(s) (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia); Beyond Nature: Ecology and Performance Interdisciplinary Conference (Lancaster, UK); Environmental Studies Association of Canada (York U, Toronto); the Canadian Forum on Religion and Ecology; Community Arts Ontario; Finders Keepers International Women’s Conference; Lower Grand River Land Trust; Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition; Ontario Museum Association; The Ontario Rural Council; Ottawa Storytelling Festival; Toronto Conservation Authority; Toronto Storytelling Festival; Waterloo Unlimited.

In religion & the arts: 8-month spiritual memoir (writing) course with Prajnatara of Amida Mosaic Sangha. Groundswell Multi-faith Initiative, adult education certificate program in community leadership with co-founder, Teresa Bryant, King’s College, London, Ontario. If I Speak, Who Will Listen? 8-month women’s writing workshop in Boulder, Colorado. The Spiritual Lifestory Workshop, 8-month life-writing workshop with co-founder Ronald L. Grimes in Boulder, Colorado. Women’s Circle Multifaith Gathering at the Jesse Saulteaux Centre in Manitoba. Women’s contemplative literature study groups in Waterloo, Ontario and in Boulder, Colorado.