2010 Power of Words Conference

The Power of Words 2010 Conference

The 2010 Power of Words conference was landmark in terms of bringing together a particularly diverse group of participants, which was over 30% composed of people of color, thanks to the Roxanne-Florence scholarship established by Yvette Hyater-Adams, and the networking of S. Pearl Sharp, one of our keynoter performers who bedazzled us with a stunning performance of spoken word poetry including dancer Nailah. Additionally, conference-goers enjoyed a moving performance of poetry by Kim Rosen, an evocative and a haunting talk/reading on the power of poetry by Gregory Orr, an uplifting and stunning concert by Greg Greenway, a superb reading by novelist Katie Towler, and a mesmerizing storytelling performance on Body Eloquence by Nancy Mellon. Workshop presenters went into depth and breadth on all manner of the written and spoken word, including:

• Catalyst: Finding the Voice of Your Healthy Self  –  Vanita Leatherwood

• The Center for Stories: Help for those Carrying a Storied Burden – Elizabeth Beasley

• Community Transformation and the Video Documentary – Valerie Harris

• Crazy is Just a Story: Narrative Approaches to Mental Health – Lewis Mehl-Madrona and  Dana Waldram

• Journeys of the Heart: Coming Home to our Most Authentic Selves – Mary Dowd

• Khenuta:  An Inner and Outer Sense of Justice – Whendi Broderick

• Light Comes: Theatre for the Sustainable Revolution – Sarah Moon

• Making Sense of Peace – Geraldine Becker

• Narrative Ecology: Story as Home – Stephanie Wade

• Playing with Crazy: Using Creative Arts Therapies with Psychotic People – Barbara Mainguy and Lewis Mehl-Madrona

• Reclaiming Your Ancestral Power – S. Pearl Sharp

• Reclaiming the Erotic Story: the Liberatory Potential of Writing Desire – Jen Cross

• Stand and be Counted: A Poetic Reimagination of the World – Sha Cage

• Story Telling the Healer – Osese Tuti

• The Transformative Process of Creative Collaboration – Maria Johnson

• Weaving Dreams into Being Through Words and Objects – Karen Ogg & Jan Hitchcock

• Conversing With Your Calling: Your Work, Livelihood, and Life – Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg

• Making the Leap: Knowing When You Are Ready – Scott Youmans