THE WILDCATS FUR

First things first…the brand new, sizzling, eye-turning new school website is up at:

http://www.schoolofmyth.com

Designed by the incandescent hand of Ian Forster of graphic alchemy- he’s a baying hound of inspiration, happily trotting through the forests of images.
Check him out today at:


http://www.graphicalchemy.co.uk

Sizzling in the Image-Cauldron
Just back from another wonderful weekend at The School of Myth. Hard study, huge creative bursts, big joy and deep feeling. The stories landed hard, the mist rolled in and a Fox came from the Otherworld to visit many of us-a breathing, curious, non-metaphorical one. Thank you one and all and see you at PARZIVAL In only just over a month!more on that soon-and to students, remember-the best way to ground these dizzying leaps is with study-find that lofty companion. more soon x.

An aside...
On two Saturdays ago I was up in Dorset, to the Bridport art centre to enjoy my good buddy Matthew Burtons day of Harold Pinter related topics. Matthew was close to Pinter in his last years and was directing a reading and showing a documentary. Pinters widow, Lady Antonia Frazer was also gave a good, mildly cantankerous interview with our hero. Matthew was very composed, and wrily amused at her occasional splutter. Having interviewed Bly last year I know what that arena can be like. He threw a glass of water at me and I hit him with a book. Gently.

As I got out of my battered but wonderful renault espace into the Bridport sunshine, the very first person I saw was none other than our very own, proper Rock Star, P. J. Harvey. International readers may not be aware of Ms. Harvey, but she’s a sort of deviant art-school hybrid daughter of Patti Smith and Captain Beefheart with a dash of commercial sass. I say a dash though, for the main she seems to have stayed close to her muse. You may enjoy her ‘songs from the city, songs from the sea’ record, although she claims she had lost her way somewhat when she wrote it. Still, as we know, losing your way is where many of the great stories begin.

She had good boots and a feeling of the solitary. Came to Matthews event too. Think she was stalking us to get a free place at PARZIVAL.

NEW WORKSHOPS 2010: The Voyaging Heart and the Courted Soul

It feels like a week of announcements. I begin a seasonal series of day workshops; “The Wheel of Story” in April –details and links on the courses page of the new website. Set in the stunning surrounds of the Bone Hill retreat centre on Dartmoor, ‘The Voyaging Heart and the Courted Soul’ is the first day. Working with the great Celtic love story TRISTAN AND ISOLDE we will explore the notion of spring, amor, chivalry, ecstatic courtship, the relationship between soul and spirit, supported by personal creative writing and a peer into the mesmeric worlds of the troubadours, Rumi, Hafez, D. H. Lawrence and others. All about the business of love and voyages. Expect solo time with the mossy hills and granite tors too. This has very limited numbers so get in touch today as we expect this to fill quickly. For those that fancy a rather elegant dip into the myth world-lovely sofas, spacious loos, graceful surroundings, this if for you. A steal at £60-please spread the word.

For locals with a taste for story get along to musician and storyteller Christine Coopers new night of storytelling in Totnes, Devon-

‘Stories from the Butterwalk’.Come along to Bogan House (through the Costume Museum, 47 High St, Totnes) on next Tuesday, Februar y 9th, to share in the delights of stories new and old, accompanied by home-made cakes tea, and a lovely Edwardian ceiling. Bring your own drink if you fancy something stronger. All welcome, to tell or to listen! First time or seasoned tellers, come one come all! The fun will begin at 8pm, and they ask for a £2 donation to cover costs.

Sounds great.

TAKING HOLD OF THE WILDCATS FUR
is the title of the 2010 Great Mother conference in Maine, U.S. this first week in June. Go to
http://www.greatmotherconference.com for details.
I shall be teaching there alongside Robert Bly, Lewis Hyde, Coleman Barks, Gioia Timpanelli, Tony Hoagland, Caroline Casey and more. From there I shall head over to California for work in Los Angeles (with ‘the Doors’ John Densmore and Daniel Deardorff’ then up to San Francisco to be reunited with the big bear Coleman for one last ecstatic tango. As soon as I have dates and titles they will go on websites and this. There will be a New York and Vermont pit stop too…….

An old clan motto from my family is 'touch not the cat without a glove' so the conference promises much..

For those of you who’d like a taster of the Great Mother Conference but are low on dough, you may want to get to the ‘wheel of story’ workshops as they will hold many of the ideas and stories I will be carrying over to Turtle Island.
Of course, I can’t fill all these other titans shoes, but it will be juicy.