Connie Voisine

ZOEGLOSSIA: A RETREAT FOR WRITERS WITH DISABILITIES

As many of you know, American literary writing has been radically changed over the past fifteen years by retreats for emerging writers in historically underrepresented groups. For example, Cave Canem is an organization for African American writers that began retreats nearly twenty years ago and many of its fellows are now prominent professors and writers, enriching the world of contemporary American literature. Similar organizations are CantoMundo (Latino/a writers), Kundiman (Asian and Asian American writers) and Lambda Literary (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered writers).

With the publication of the groundbreaking anthology of disability poetics, Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability, two of the editors, Jennifer Bartlett and Sheila Black, decided earlier this year that the time had come to encourage these important voices and further integrate our national literature. I was on a sabbatical and had time to do some of the start up work, so, together we all got the ball rolling for a writing retreat for poets with disabilities. We are all poets interested in increased opportunities for publishing, employment and mentorship in the field.

The name of the retreat is Zoeglossia. In ancient Greek, Zoe means life, both of the physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. Glossia means speech or language, literally, "tongue." Larry Eigner has been selected as our guiding presence; one of the founders of the retreat, Jennifer Bartlett, is working on his biography. Born with cerebral palsy, Eigner used a wheelchair throughout his life. He published more than 40 collections of poetry, works grounded in the Black Mountain School. It was Eigner's learning to type and then to write poems that allowed him to communicate with the world of writers and beyond.

Our vision for the retreat is that emerging writers will come to campus for three days of intensive work. The three-day retreat will admit approximately eight poets, who will be mentored by two prominent poets with disabilities. A third writer will be responsible for delivering a keynote lecture and panel participation. All attendees—teachers and students—will present their literary writing at a series of readings open to the public. Teachers and returning poets will provide panel discussions on professional and literary issues, as well as one-on-one conferences with the emerging writers. Much like Canto Mundo, writers, once admitted will be encouraged to attend three times over the following year to earn the title of "Fellow." Imagine that! Our own credentialing! Some fore-folk need to be thanked and, while there are many, Kathi Wolfe, Ellen McGrath Smith, Jim Ferris, Michael Northen, John Lee Clark and Laura Hersey are where I will start.

At this point, we have a name for the retreat, and a location, Our Lady of the Lake University, which has recently begun a social justice MFA program in creative writing and has very kindly agreed to host. The anticipated date is sometime in late May or early June of 2017. Jennifer has been instrumental in this first push, by finding volunteer lawyers to help the organization incorporate and get 501c-3 (non-profit) status. After that, so much of this is still in progress it can seem overwhelming. But, we are happy to be getting this going at all—it's an idea whose time has definitely come.

Sheila and Jennifer have long been involved in the disability community and many of you are familiar with their poems and advocacy. A recent example is the way the AWP (Associated Writing Programs) Conference has improved accessibility for all attendees. Together with others involved in the disability literary community including Meg Day, Kelly Davio, Jillian Weise, Jim Ferris and Sandra Beasley, they formed the first ever Disabilities Caucus, a project that will continue on each yet. The caucus is an import move because it deals not only with accessibility issues at the conference, but with the promotion of writers with disabilities, and organizations like Zoeglossia. Though not a member of the caucus, I am stepping forward as an ally. I come from a logging community in northern Maine, a profession that leaves the majority of those employed with often numerous disabilities. My father broke his back when I was eight years old and has significant hearing loss.

This year's AWP conference was also the site of the first ever booth devoted exclusively to disability literature. The booth was sponsored by the Disability Literature Consortium, a group of small disability literary journal. The consortium has invited Zoeglossia to participate with it in the 2017 AWP conference to be held in Washington, DC. The connection with DLC will allow us further opportunities to spread the word about the Zoeglossia retreats.

We are still developing a board with diversity in mind: by dis/ability, gender identification, race, sexuality, class, aesthetics, and age. Soon, you will hear more from us, I promise. This venture will need your support to get it off the ground, and a fledgling nonprofit needs lots of help, from web design to publicity to financial support. We might just need a few Hurrahs! along the way. Stay tuned!

Connie Voisine is the author of the recent book of poems, Calle Florista. Her previous book, Rare High Meadow of Which I Might Dream, also published by University of Chicago Press, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award. She lives and works in New Mexico.