Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Nov 5-8: Honeymoon Bay Poetry Retreat, Richard Osler

Richard has read his work at Pacific Theatre events like CHRISTMAS PRESENCE and TESTIMONY, and I bet his dynamic, energetic presence would make for a splendidly inspiring creative environment.

Thursday November 5th to Sunday November 8th. All-in cost: Double Occupancy $300, Single Occupancy $425.

Date Change! Owing to an unforseen scheduling conflict I have had to move the October Retreat date to November 5th to 8th. But the good news is that means low season rates! This translates into an all inclusive cost of $300 double occupancy (queen-sized beds) and $425 for single occupancy (queen-sized bed). This includes nine high quality meals and all other retreat costs!


Weekend Structure. We will start with a 1 PM lunch on Thursday and a one and a half hour poetry writing session on Thursday afternoon followed by another one-and-a-quarter- hour session Thursday evening. We will have a two and half hour writing session on Friday and Saturday morning and a shorter-wrap up session on Sunday morning. On Friday and Saturday evening there will be time to share favorite poems and some of your own writing. We will use specific writing reflections based on the poems of some of the outstanding poets of the past century as a way to engage our own thoughts and words.And we will be inspired by each other.

Retreat facilitator. Richard Osler, 58. Poet, workshop facilitator and businessman.

Retreat Centre. The Honeymoon Bay Lodge and Retreat Centre near Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island (90 minutes from either Victoria or Nanaimo) This centre, owned and operated by a charitable foundation, is a five star facility with an executive chef. All meals are provided ( high quality!) and each room has two queen-sized beds and a three-piece bathroom. Please check out this link www.honeymoonbayretreat.com for a virtual tour.

Cost. Reasonable! Thanks to the great package offered by Honeymoon Bay the all-in cost including all meals prepared by staff at the lodge and selected by the participants (dinners) from a menu selection is reasonable! See above. A non-refundable deposit of $100.00 is required to secure a place. WIth the deposit should be a post-dated cheque dated October 15th for the balance owing. The amount of the post dated cheque will be refundable if the cancelled space is filled by another retreatant. Cheques should be made payable to Richard Osler and sent to 1046 Queens Ave., Victoria, B.C. V8T 1M8.

Who should come? Anyone who wants a weekend of reflection and unexpected words.

Who to Contact: Email or phone Richard Osler (osler@shaw.ca) or 604 836 7875.

Response Time. Soon! We have ten rooms available which means a minimum of about 10 to 12 retreatants.We have about 5 to 6 rooms left.

"Most people…think that writing means writing down ideas, insights, visions. They feel that they must first have something to say before they can put it on paper. For them writing is little more than recording a pre-existent thought. But with this approach true writing is impossible. Writing is a process in which we discover what lives in us. The writing itself reveals what is alive…The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey whose final destination we do not know. Thus, writing requires a real act of trust. We have to say to ourselves, ‘I do not yet know what I carry in my heart, but I trust that it will emerge as I write.’ Writing is like giving away the few loaves and fishes one has, trusting that they will multiply in the giving. Once we dare “to give” away on paper the few thoughts that come to us, we start discovering how much is hidden underneath…and gradually come in touch with our own riches.” Henri Noewen

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