What happens when we spiritually connect with our natural environment? How do we record these experiences in words? How do we communicate those moments to others through poetry? What do we come to learn about ourselves through realizing our place in the natural world?

This weekend retreat at Prairiewoods (120 East Boyson Road in Hiawatha) will be facilitated by David Duer and Cecile Goding. It  will include three components: learning (looking at forms, techniques, other poets), practicing (writing from prompts and from our direct engagement with the woods and prairie) and responding (sharing and discussing our work with others). The over-arching goal is, as Thoreau says, to return to our senses. Or to take ourselves to a place where, as Annie Dillard writes in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, we are “gazing beyond … into the realm of the real where subjects and objects act and rest purely.” 

The cost of this weekend retreat is $230 and includes sessions, lodging and all meals. The commuter fee is $180 and includes sessions and all meals. A non-refundable deposit of $25 is required at registration. (Full payment is required to register online. If you prefer to pay the $25 registration fee now and the balance when you arrive, please call 319-395-6700.) If you want to stay in a Hermitage, you also will need to register by phone. If you have dietary restrictions that affect your health, please list them on the next screen.