Connections: An Interview With John Maney, Jr. - Poet & Creative Writing Workshop Leader

In nature, bio-diverse systems tend to be more productive, robust and resilient. Each element contributes to the system’s overall success, as do the web of relationships that exist between those elements.  This phenomenon is mirrored in human networks or communities, which are also strengthened when they are diverse, and where members feel respected and valued for their contributions.

In this inaugural Connections conversation, I sat down with Bronx poet, John Maney, Jr. John conducts creative writing and poetry workshops with those who often lack opportunities to develop their creative voice and to share and contribute their perspectives and experiences with others.  Read on to learn how creative writing has helped John’s students connect with themselves as well as their wider communities, enriching their lives as well as his own. 

You conduct writing workshops. What kind of writing do you teach and why?
John Maney, Jr.: I teach creative writing, because I love it, and want to nurture this in others.

What types of communities do you work with?
Maney: Well, I work with all kinds of communities. I’ve worked with the formally incarcerated. I’ve also done work with recovering heroin addicts. And of course, I’ve conducted workshops for the general public.

How did you come to work with these communities?
Maney: I’d been studying writing, attending workshops, and sending things in for publication, while at the same time volunteering to work with the less privileged. It was in one my favorite writing workshops put on by Cave Canem that I met Angeli Rasbury. She worked as a Creative Writing Workshop Leader for an organization called the New York Writers Coalition. This organization had a social justice bent, and offered workshops for people who normally wouldn’t have access to them. Angeli suggested I apply. I did, and was accepted. Some of my previous work was with the formally incarcerated. I requested the Coalition help me start a workshop with this community. My first workshop was at the Fortune Society, an organization dedicated to giving formally incarcerated people a chance to turn their lives around. I wanted to be part of this by helping validate their stories, and thereby them as human beings.

Wow! It sounds like taking a creative writing might not be at the top of the list for members of some of the groups you’ve worked with! How have they responded to taking your workshop?
Maney: Of course the effect of my workshops varies depending on each individual. It’s true many participants never thought of themselves as writers, until workshop prompts awakened something in them that required a written response. Crafting that response in a non-judgmental, nurturing workshop environment, helped many participants realize they had important things to say. This in turn made them realize, maybe for the first time in a long time, that they were important. And so, writing took on a new significance for them. I still stay in contact with several previous participants, and often find they continue to write. It appears once people discover they have a voice, it’s very hard to shut them up. If my workshops have done nothing else, I’m pleased to know they’ve done this for at least some in the ignored, under-served communities I’ve often worked in.

Why do you feel it is important for members of the communities you’ve worked with to learn to write creatively?
Maney: It’s my belief that everyone has a story to tell, and in having people listen they’re validated as human beings. The communities I’ve often worked with whether ex-cons, or recovering junkies as society likes to refer to them, are comprised of people whose stories are often minimized if heard at all. I feel the work I do helps people tap into their stories, and tell them in a more effective way.

We’ve talked about why you’ve chosen to work with certain communities, but do you feel you get something in return from teaching creative writing in those communities?
Maney: This is a good question. To tell the truth sometimes I think I get more out of my workshops than other participants. I of course write along with them. The play of thought and emotion that comes from writing with others can be very inspiring. Designing the workshop also gets my creative flames burning, as I think about who may be attending, then design prompts to capture their imaginations. So in addition to writing, I must listen to the words and hearts of those who to write with me, and respond creatively. This causes me to be creative on several levels. It’s truly an enriching experience.

How do you feel this creative exchange might enhance or alter how we all experience the world?
Maney: Hearing other people’s stories, (their pain and struggles, their dreams) helps us see better how we’re all connected. Once we see that then the next step is learning to care. Once we care, then maybe we’ll start to change things for the better.

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us here at With Intent!  Do you have any workshops or projects coming up that you’d like to share with our readers?
Maney: Yes. I'll be conducting a new Saturday creative writing workshop series entitled "Finding Your Poetic Voice" starting February 22nd, through April 5th, 2014.  We’ll be meeting from 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm at the Kingsbridge Library in the Bronx, NY (291 West 231st Street).
 

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John Maney, Jr is a poet and creative writing workshop leader.
He has been published in several anthologies and magazines. You 
can connect with him at jmaneyjr@gmail.com or his 
website maneywords.

Ready to Save the World? Three Ways Your Local Weekly Newspaper Can Help!

In Building Blocks, we looked at six practical components we could use to help design a life of intent.  One of those components was increasing knowledge and awareness of your community and the world around you. This component incorporates the permaculture principle of Observe & Interact (see here for the list of other permaculture principles).

Here’s where your local weekly paper comes in!

Now, you’re probably wondering how seemingly mundane tidbits such as wedding and birth announcements or coupon inserts will lead to personal enlightenment and help you save the world!  However, here are three ways your local weekly can be a powerful and invaluable tool for doing just that:

1. What’s Going On in Your Community?

Obviously, a weekly reports local news stories, but of particular interest for our purposes are the civic association columns. They’re a really great source for news and insights about issues of importance to the people in a community. They also highlight activities and events that association members organize to enhance the quality of life for themselves and their neighbors.  Due to my schedule, I am not able to attend my association’s monthly meetings, so I look forward to reading about them in the paper (Bronx Times Reporter). In addition to the civic columns, I of course enjoy reading any articles about green initiatives, but really, anything reflecting the care, commitment and pride residents take in where they live or work is also of interest.

Last year I was thrilled to learn that a member of the Locust Point Civic Association (Chrys Napolitano), in conjunction with Stoneledge Farm, was starting a CSA in her neighborhood, one of only two operating in the northeast Bronx.  CSAs (or community supported agriculture) allow smaller, local or regional farmers to sell their harvests directly to consumers (for more information see Building Blocks – Health & Fitness, but in particular, Just Food's site).  Chrys has also begun writing a biweekly column called Food for Thought, where she discusses sustainable food production, gardening, and how, as consumers, we can be more mindful about our food choices.

I find these two developments to be very exciting, and are just a couple of the many things I’ve learned reading my local weekly.

2. Who and How is it Getting Done?

My local weekly also regularly features articles about the efforts of local officials to address various issues. These types of articles will help you to keep up with what they are doing year round, and not just at election time.  They are often your first and last lines of recourse in getting a matter resolved.  From initiating or passing legislation, to allocating or advocating for additional funding to jump-start a project or initiative, they play a critical role in helping a community to function effectively.  This is especially true of problems that are persistent or recurring in nature.

One such situation involved a battle between a community group (the Pelham Parkway Preservation Alliance) and the city over how many trees would need to be removed to make way for a major road repair and improvement project.  This story unfolded in the paper over a period of about three years.  However, through the determined efforts of both sides, a mutually satisfactory solution was eventually reached.  Many more trees were preserved than originally specified in the city’s plans, while also accommodating construction needs. And again, this is just one example of information I gained by reading my weekly, reflecting what's possible when different constituencies work together to resolve a problem. See? Contrary to popular belief, you can fight City Hall and your local paper shows that!

3. How and Where Can You Spend Your "Green" Locally?

My local weekly regularly features articles about existing or new small businesses operating there.  As I will continually emphasize, economics is a key factor in a community’s health and resilience.  Local small businesses can be significant drivers of employment and entrepreneurial opportunity (see Saving the Mom & Pops: Ten Ways to Support Small Independent Retail Stores and Keep Manhattan Vibrant), so a decision to patronize them is a great way to contribute to your own community’s vitality while also reducing your carbon footprint!  Many of the businesses written about are often family owned and have been operating in their neighborhoods for years, maybe even passed down across a generation or two.  The proprietors always express great pride and enthusiasm about the goods and services they provide, and why they feel you won’t be disappointed if you shop at their establishments. Their success in turn attracts new businesses, whose owners often cite this positive atmosphere as one of the reasons they feel they too will be successful.

Finally, you might not have considered this, but your local weekly is itself a local institution in need of your support! As is the case with mine, some of the paper's staff may have grown up or currently live in the community.  Additionally, in my area, membership in one’s neighborhood civic association entitles you to a subscription to the paper.  So this is a convenient and easy way for me to circulate some of my own green locally, support my civic association and access all the great information the paper contains.  Looks like a with intent trifecta to me!

I hope you are beginning to see that there's far more to your local weekly than meets the eye. It is a huge window allowing you to observe who, what, where and how things get done in your community. As you get into the habit of reading it, you will eventually begin to see how you can connect and interact with your community in ways that are personally meaningful.  Caring about something is far easier when you’re familiar with it, and making good or better choices, including those related to the environment, are ultimately a natural consequence of caring.

Changing Your Intent

Observe & Interact: What You Can Do Right Now!

1. If you already read or are a fan of your local weekly, give a shout-out here or on Facebook. Not yet acquainted with your local weekly? What are you waiting for?! Check it out and report back!
2. Leave a comment here or on Facebook, about one thing you learned about your community that you didn’t know before, or an activity that you have or will participate in as a result of reading your local weekly.

Happy reading!