Poetry Therapy The Irish Poetry Therapy Network Journal Volume 4: Issue 1: Spring 2019 Volume 1: Issue 2: Autumn 2016
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Mental Illness and Creativity – Arnold Thomas Fanning Poetry Therapy Sessions in Prison – Dr Shelley Tracey Review of IPTN 2019 Conference – Carol Boland ‘Flaking the Rope’ - Book Review Coming events
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Contents Editorial
Editorial Theresa Kelly p.2
Dear Readers, Welcome to the Spring 2019 issue of Poetry Therapy, produced by the Irish Poetry Therapy Network (IPTN).
Mental Illness and Creativity Arnold Thomas Fanning p.3
We are very happy to include a piece by Arnold Thomas Fanning ‘Mental Illness and Creativity’ previously published by RTE1. In this piece Arnold expresses how important managing his mental health is to his creative process.
Hope Changes Everything: Poetry Therapy Sessions in Prison Dr Shelley Tracey p.4
Dr Shelley Tracey has contributed a very interesting piece on a number of poetry sessions she conducted in a prison setting and passes on thoughts of hope and how such thoughts can keep us going in times of adversity.
Book Review: Flaking the Rope by Gene Barry - Harry Owen p.5 Conference Report 2018 - Writing for Wellness: Accentuate the Positive Carol Boland p.6 Coming Events p.8
We also include an overview of the IPTN Conference, news about coming events and a book review on Flaking the Rope by Gene Barry.
Contact Us Email: irishpoetrytherapynetwork @gmail.com
Blog: www.irishpoetytherapynetwork. blogspot.ie
We hope you find this issue interesting. As always we invite readers to submit articles, book/poetry/film reviews and workshops relating to the area of poetry therapy and how it supports the personal development and therapeutic development of the individual. Theresa Kelly PTP IAHIP/IACP
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Mental Illness and Creativity Arnold Thomas Fanning O the mind, mind has mountains; cliffs of fall Frightful, sheer, no-man-fathomed. These words by Gerard Manley Hopkins, from his poem ‘No worst, there is none. Pitched past pitch of grief,’ are familiar to many from school days, and form the frontispiece to my book, Mind on Fire: A Memoir of Madness and Recovery. This is my first book and, as the title emphasises, is an account of living with, and overcoming, the worst effects of bipolar disorder, which I was first diagnosed with in my late twenties. But the book is more than that: it is also the story of being a writer. The narrative, weaving its way through the book, is the story of how I, as a writer, negotiated a creative career while suffering from a serious mental illness. In my teens, like many before me, I took up writing in earnest, and by my midtwenties I was getting published in literary journals and newspapers and anthologies, even getting funding to make short films. I had quite a good, steady routine, writing with dedication in my spare time, submitting my work diligently, persevering through the rejections, celebrating any small successes such as acceptance for publication.
Then all that carefully created life I had put together was swept away by an episode of mania. This was the harbinger of a decade when I struggled with the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, only returning to stability once more in my late thirties: a time when I debuted my first play in the Dublin Fringe Festival. The time since then, thankfully, has been marked by continuing and increasing good health, and matching productivity in creative terms. This has led me to reflect, often, on what it means to be creative and to live with a diagnosis of a serious mental illness. How, if at all, do these two elements interact?
By being diligent in maintaining metal health, creativity will flourish My own experience has been that they do interact, catastrophically: the highs and lows of bipolar disorder do nothing but disrupt the application and diligence needed to be creative. Imagination, ideas, speculation, all are part of being creative. So, too, are letting one’s mind wander, day dream, and fantasise. But, essential also are discipline, routine, regularity, repetition, practice, and thoroughness. However, all of
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the latter are impossible when in the depths of crippling depression, or wracked by the storms of mania. I now have a simple routine when it comes to writing: after breakfast, go for a thirty-minute walk in the park letting my mind wander where it will, then return to my desk and sit and write until I feel I have reached the end of that day’s work; then, on subsequent days, return to the work to rewrite, edit, type up, and re-write and re-edit again, and so see it through to completion, all the while preceding the work day with a mind-clearing – and inspiring – walk in the park. It’s a regular routine, repetitive, relaxing, almost hypnotic; the sort of calming routine that I feel is really needed to be creative, and that helps with my mental health also. This, after all, is the true link between mental illness and creativity: by being diligent in maintaining mental health, creativity will flourish. (First published on RTE.ie) Arnold Thomas Fanning’s short stories, articles and essays have been published in a wide variety of publications. His work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and RTÉ Radio 1, including for Arena and A Living Word. His play McKenna’s Fort won the Oscar Wilde Award for Best New Writing in 13th International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. Mind on Fire: A Memoir of Madness and Recovery, (Penguin) was published in 2018. www.arnoldthomasfanning.com
If you have hope you will find a way to cope: poetry therapy sessions in prison Dr Shelley Tracey
T
he first part of the title is from a poem by a participant in a series of four poetry therapy sessions in the mental health unit of a men’s prison. The writer asked me to share the poem widely ‘outside’: to type it up and put it on the wall in appropriate places, and to leave it lying around where those in need of encouragement could find it. STAY STRONG If you have happiness You will have hope If you have hope You will find a way to cope Happiness can be stolen away. When you find it, keep it. Shut the door. Don’t let anyone take your happiness away.
According to the writer, the two main themes of the poem are the need for hope and the importance of having some
control over one’s life. These are challenging concepts during periods of incarceration; they influenced my decisions about the form and content of the poetry therapy sessions. The participants came to the sessions with different personal issues, a range of reading and writing practices, and varying levels of experience of writing creatively and otherwise. However, there was consensus that writing is a way ‘of getting it out of your head,’ ‘reminding you what’s possible,’ and ‘keeping hope alive’. I thought long and hard about prompts, materials and appropriate methods for this group. Participants’ abilities to concentrate might be affected by their medication. The length of the sessions were usually less than the two hours allocated, because of the lengthy administrative processes involved in escorting individual participants to the group each week. To address the group members’ lack of freedom of movement and exclusion from the outside world, I took along a set of pictures of nature as
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inspiration. The participants associated these images with peace and calmness, and wrote poems in response to them. Three out of the five participants read the Bible on a daily basis, seeking inspiring verses which might help to get them through the day. I built on this by presenting series of quotations in each of the sessions on themes such as hope, happiness, and change. Responses in poetry and prose were written to selected quotations. The poetry therapy activity of (re)constructing a poem cut up into separate lines was well-received. The poem
‘Each scar makes a story worth telling’ Hands by Sarah Kay was a favourite. Each member of the group wrote a line or two in response. ‘Each scar makes a story worth telling’ prompted the comment: ‘Scars are a part of our lives and each one of them has a story, good or bad, and some scars can’t be seen.’ In relation to choosing appropriate poems as prompts, I drew on Hynes and M. HynesBerry’s criteria for selection (1994; 2012). Given the participants’ mental health issues and the limited duration of the programme, it felt important to focus on poems with a positive orientation. I was uncertain about using Miroslav Holub’s The Door, which is usually effective with poetry therapy groups,
because of participants’ lack of freedom to open their own cell doors. However, when it felt appropriate to use this poem in session three, all present enjoyed the repetition and the opportunity to create an effective group piece. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the sessions, with a good deal of humour, playfulness and mutual encouragement. Feedback suggests that participants are keen to continue with the poetry therapy, should funding be secured to facilitate this. Working in this context has been a powerful learning experience for me; I hope for an opportunity to develop my practice in this area. REFERENCE: M. Hynes and M. Hynes-Berry. (3rd edition) (1994, 2012) Biblio/poetry Therapy: the Interactive Process: A handbook. St. Cloud: North Star Press.
Irish Poetry Therapy Network – IPTN is a non-profit organisation that provides an environment where participants explore at first hand, through the use of poetry therapy and bibliotherapy, the healing power of poetry as a means of identifying and dealing with various life issues.
Book Review
Mother Gene Barry
Flaking the Rope Gene Barry Gene Barry’s new poetry collection, Flaking the Rope, is a book of healing. One day I will cry forever/[…]/ I will hand back shame,/stuff hanks of guilt deep into his larynx. Such uncompromising words as these of deep psychological torment (from Stuffing Hanks) reflect the kind of healing needed and which the poet seeks to impart. Unflinching in its honest recognition of the hurt so often inflicted upon children, whether intentionally or unknowingly, by parents themselves harmed by society’s inadequacies, the poems in this collection nevertheless exude a genuine empathy for all damaged youngsters, and for the dammed adults they frequently become . . . If, as C.S. Lewis claimed, we read to know we are not alone, then Flaking the Rope is another page in that essential volume. It deserves to be read and re-read Harry Owen Flaking the Rope available on Amazon.
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is
now
there is a frozen silence both sides of our window. Outside, a white sheet steals the joy of herbs and plants, decorates the half-worked green climbing our unfinished fence. Three electric poles are alive. Daffodils are popping through disliked moss greens, calves entertain electric fences and woken tractors are feeding fields. Inside, a voice is echoing your granddaughter’s telephoned message, stilling thoughts, and delivering the cold news that you have passed.
Bibliotherapy The use of books for therapeutic purposes is known as ‘bibliotherapy’. Selfhelp books have been used in for many years, and are now being recommended for providing psychological therapy for people experiencing emotional and psychological difficulties. This has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) UK as a useful start in treating mild and moderate depression, anxiety and panic, and other mental health problems. In February ‘09, the Library Council of Ireland introduced, ‘The Power of Words’ scheme – a list of 30 books to support persons to gain insight into and treat their emotional and psychological problems. Check out their booklist and further details at
https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/li st/4/mental-healthservices/powerofwords/booklist/
Conference Report 2018 Writing For Wellness: Accentuate the Positive Irish Poetry Therapy Network in collaboration with
Lapidus International and iaPOETRY A journey of selfdiscovery It was a weekend voyage of self-discovery and personal development at IPTN’s 2018 annual conference, Writing For Wellness: Accentuate the Positive. The event was held in collaboration with Lapidus International and iaPOETRY, attracting participants from Ireland, Wales and England. A wide range of workshops from poetry therapy, storytelling and dream-work were held over two days, permitting participants and facilitators space for interaction and friendly exchange. The conference was held at the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, Co. Wexford, in the light and airy Eileen Grey conference suite, named after the renowned Irish architect and pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. A fitting space for the groundbreaking work that was carried out over the weekend. To say that that Storm Callum played a part in raising the stress levels for the organisers, would be an understatement. ‘Waves as tall as giraffes’ was one description
of the turbulent Irish Sea, and we stand in awe of those that made the crossing and lived to tell the tale. Unfortunately, flights from Bristol were cancelled and one of the facilitator was grounded. Thankfully, poetry therapists Theresa Kelly and Carol Boland took up the baton at the last minute. Day 1 was a session on Positivity through Poetry with Carol Boland (IPTN), starting with a meditation on a glass of water, easing the group into a deep, creative space. Through poems, questions were raised on the subject of positivity such as, when does staying positive as a way to deal with difficulties, turn into a means of avoiding difficulties? Creative writing followed poems and discussions during the session. The second facilitation was on Exploring Gratitude with Ger Campbell (IPTN). This was a lively session including group singing and creative play. In the afternoon, Jill Teague (iaPOETRY) and Jessica Chapman (Lapidus), having recovered from a horrendous ferry crossing, ran two sessions of concurrent workshops: Jill on Nature as Healer, and Jessica on
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Place of Qualities of Kindness and Compassion. In Nature as Healer, using poetry, prose and visual images, the groups explored personal relations with Nature, and discussed its potential for promoting wellbeing. Jessica’s session dealt with the difference between kindness and compassion followed by writing from a dream-like picture and subsequent discussion on various poems. On Day 2, key speaker Mike Hackett led an interactive session, Midwife of Dreams, introducing us to modern dreamwork in a therapeutic context. With the assistance of a willing participant, Mike demonstrated how dream therapy works in practice, much to everyone’s admiration. The subsequent facilitation was a wellorchestrated oral storytelling session with Vicky Fields (Lapidus). The group created their own responses to her story, and explored how we might be changed by travelling alongside a particular narrative. Theresa Kelly (IPTN) and Carol Boland (IPTN) wrapped up the afternoon with two poetry therapy facilitations. In conclusion, picture postcards
depicting various places in Ireland were distributed and participants addressed the cards to themselves, writing a personal note. Some weeks later, the cards were posted to the addressees. Due to the personal nature of our workshops, numbers at our conference are always restricted, enabling space for discussion and interaction between facilitators and attendees. All places were filled this year, and I’m pleased to report that participants’ feedback was extremely positive over the whole weekend. In conclusion, during the conference two group poems were created by the participants. A group poem is one which is formed by each participant adding a line to the ‘live’ poem, as they feel moved to do so. Here are the two group poems written in the moment and without editing:
Poems Like Birds Flying Poems like birds flying around the world I have never had the patience for knots the muscle of broken words engulfed in misunderstandings warm to my good nature to self-sabotage and self-flagellate praising dandelion petals comes easy when I learn to be. How long does the tide take to transform glass the inner grain of gold the gold is deep within from the silence comes a cacophony of wisdom the complex whole, the wet mass of veins verbs, nerves, brain cells, words rhythmic crescendo lusty in gale she's just responding to the signals from the deep greedy satiated. Be a tree, remember your sapling days being grateful letting go is the hardest accept difficulty and change is essential for growth enjoy the gifts of the sensual world. Group poem 2018
Not of the wild sea Into the blue, blue of the ocean where the gardens are lush and the trees sag with mango my dyspraxic hands fumble crushing the fragile fruit I watch with my dream eye and the world is drowned in tears for our joy is but one massaging out the unwanted like time within a dream you need to finish out your song where half-written works of art are complete the wish-keeper they called me this is the saddest kiss I sit here on my patchwork cushion and float skywards igniting spider web.
Between New York and the River: BridgeXngs Poetry and Writing Retreat Lila Weisberger, founder of the International Academy for Poetry Therapy, offers this innovative five day Poetry and Writing Retreat. July 24 - July 28, 2019 at bridgeXngs Poetry Center, East 72 Street, New York. For more information check out
https://betweenyorkandtheriver.blogspot.com/
Group poem 2018
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COMING EVENTS 10th Hippocrates Conference on Poetry and Medicine, and Hippocrates Prize Awards An Introduction to Poetry Therapy Workshop Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast Date: Saturday 18 May ‘19 Time: 10am – 4pm Price: £47/£42
Dr Shelley Tracey will present a workshop, ‘An Introduction to Poetry Therapy’, at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast on Saturday 18th May. This workshop will focus on creative writing, not on therapy. By the end of the workshop you will have explored some poetry therapy methods and techniques, and responded to inspiring poems on the theme of wellbeing. This workshop is suitable for writers with all levels of experience. For further information check out: https://crescentarts.org/course s/poetry-therapy--creativewriting-
Centre for Life, Newcastle, UK Date: Friday 17 May ‘19 Price: £100/£50 The Hippocrates Initiative began in 2009 as the Hippocrates Prize for Poetry and Medicine for an unpublished poem on a medical subject. The Hippocrates Initiative now also includes the Hippocrates Society for Poetry and Medicine annual international symposia, at which Hippocrates awards are presented, an international research forum for poetry and medicine, The Hippocrates Press, and workshops. The conference includes a symposium on Changing the Vocabulary of Pain: the life, work and legacy of Julia Darling. The poetry winners will be announced by BBC News Correspondent, Kate Adie CBE DL, and her fellow judges. This year, there is a strong link with Ireland, with a conference event on Dorothy Molloy. In addition, Rebecca Bryan from Kilkenny, a shortlisted Poet for the Young Poet award, will be featured. For more information and registration for conference check out: http://hippocratespoetry.org/home.html
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Creative Bridges International: Work & Research with Words for Wellbeing Engineer’s Bristol UK
House,
Clifton,
Date: 13 & 14 July 2019 Time: 10am – 5pm Price: £210/£110 day
Creative Bridges International brings together the varied experiences of researchers, practitioners and participants to explore and expand the diversity of Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP) and words for wellbeing. Creative Bridges will showcase relevant research and practice, assess the current picture of the international field, and find inspiring and robust ways to bring CWTP research and practice to our diverse communities across the globe. For more details, check out: https://creativebridgesbristol. com/