Write what needs to be said while in supportive community. Our stories are what make us human, beginning with the fearless facts of our lives.

A regular commitment keeps our writing moving forward. Experience the support of a community of writers whether you are a beginner or published author. Join us weekly to work on your project or begin something fresh each time. This is not a critique driven circle, though feedback is offered.

Writers at all levels on the spectrum of creative exploration are welcome. This group follows these Amherst Writers & Artists essentials:

1. Everyone has a strong, unique voice.

2. Everyone is born with creative genius.

3. Writing as an art form belongs to all people, regardless of economic class or education level.

4. The teaching of craft can be done without damage to a writer’s original voice or artistic self-esteem.

5. A writer is someone who writes.

Prompts will be offered for those wishing to utilize. Others are welcome to continue working with existing or new writing projects.

Email to register: Anifalco@proton.me

Sundays 11:00 EST (Spring session begins May 10)

$20/session

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Postscript - By Marie Howe

What we did to the earth, we did to our daughters

one after the other.

What we did to the trees, we did to our elders

stacked in their wheelchairs by the lunchroom door.

What we did to our daughters, we did to our sons

calling out for their mothers.

What we did to the trees, what we did to the earth,

we did to our sons, to our daughters.

What we did to the cow, to the pig, to the lamb,

we did to the earth, butchered and milked it.

Few of us knew what the bird calls meant

or what the fires were saying.

We took of earth and took and took, and the earth

seemed not to mind

until one of our daughters shouted: it was right

in front of you, right in front of your eyes

and you didn’t see.

The air turned red.    

The ocean grew teeth.

Are you recognizing the need for support, connection and self care as we navigate these wild times?

Would you like to feel less alone? Would you like a place where your untold stories are heard and you are welcomed and rejuvenated?

Council is one way we can tend the soul of the world. Everyone is welcome.  Our society is currently focused on divide, with language and identity.  Council is not.

From the Center for Council:

The Latin word concilium, from which the word council derives, means “a gathering of people.” As we use the term, council refers to an intentional, set-aside time and place in which people come together. Some use the word “sacred” to describe this special space, though council does not connote any particular spiritual tradition. As a practice, the way of council helps us define WHERE, WHEN, WHO, WHAT and HOW we gather together. We create a circle, in a particular place, for a given length of time, and invite individuals to come together with the intention to listen and speak from the heart. Council is a practice in which individuals deepen self-awareness, groups find cohesion, and communities build bridges. 

 Council is not therapy; nobody purports to hold more authority or wisdom than anyone else. Council is not religion; there is no dogma or belief system that is elevated or preferenced over any other. Council is not gossip; the focus is on personal stories, not judgment or opinions of others. Council is not casual; the form is intended to create a strong container for sharing vulnerably and inviting the emergence of collective wisdom. Council is not fixed; it is a dynamic and emergent co-creation of participants who bring their good intention to the gathering, in service of themselves and others. Council is not exclusive; by including everything, seen and unseen, shadow and light, nothing is ignored.”

Come, let’s sit together and open our hearts to the stories within us and around us.

Please email ahead, so I can prepare space for the right number. anifalco@protonme.com

May council location Southern Vermont - TBD