Most of us move through our days without quite seeing them. Poetry is one of the oldest tools we have for slowing down enough to notice, and then for finding the words to name and embody what we have seen. 

In this 90-minute class, James will read from his newest book, The Sacred Everyday, We’ll look at poetry as a practice of paying attention, the way a poem helps us slow down enough to find what Mark Nepo has called “the blessings of the ordinary,” those beautiful, meaningful moments we might otherwise miss. We’ll do two short writings and find the words for what is true, discovering a form of expression that can reveal something about ourselves we didn’t yet know how to say. 

And of course, we’ll explore poetry as a way of connecting with stillness and presence, entering into a moment, so that we might see ourselves and the world more fully.

What You’ll Walk Away With

• A renewed ability to slow down and pay attention to the life unfolding right in front of you.

• A deeper appreciation for the beauty and meaning tucked inside ordinary moments.

• A way of being more present in your own life, rather than rushing through it.

• The discovery that paying attention is its own kind of practice, and perhaps its own kind of love.

• A greater trust in your ability to find words for things you feel but don’t yet know how to say.

• A reminder that your life, just as it is, is full of things worth noticing, honoring, and putting into words.

We hope you’ll join us for this opportunity to be with James, to write and to engage with him. You don’t need to be a writer or a poet to join us, just someone who values writing as a tool to become more present in your life. All sessions are recorded if you can’t make it. 

I’M EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING WITH CHAPTER 510, A NONPROFIT GROUP IN OAKLAND SERVING BLACK, BROWN, AND QUEER KIDS, AGES 7-18.

Chapter 510 is a writing, bookmaking & publishing center that wants every young person in Oakland to write with confidence and joy. Chapter 510 believes that writing is an act of liberation, and that young people transform themselves and their communities when they write and get published, succeeding in work, school, and life.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to supporting their free creative writing programs for black, brown, and queer youth.