Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable.
— Carl Sandburg
Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.
— Mary Oliver
The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.
— Anaïs Nin

Soul Bone℠ is a hub for poets and writers of all skill levels and in all phases of their careers. In our online literary festivals and literary center workshops and readings, we encourage vulnerable, creative exploration and experimentation; use spirituality, meditation, and self-care as tools to open up the creative imagination; use writing as a healing modality; explore all aspects of craft; and aim to create an authentically diverse and inclusive community. We believe that, as poets and writers, we have an exceptional ability to embrace the unknown. We are able to communicate the unknowable, imagine the unimaginable, say the unsayable. We are the voice of the future, pointing to new ways of seeing and other ways of being.

Language, images, metaphors, and stories have power to move, transform, and bring change. At Soul Bone℠, we start with you—your vision and process as a writer. We hold space and provide nourishment as well as challenge to get messy, connect to your intuition, and help you journey into the wilderness of your creative imagination where writing finds its pulse.

 

Soul Bone℠ Literary Center


Soul Bone℠ intersects writing with creative process, spirituality, social justice, and healing in tiny, winged courses that lift the spirit. This summer, our Soul Bone℠ Literary Center will begin offering a series of generative workshops, prompt circles, readings, and master classes on pitching, publishing, creative process, and more. We are doing our utmost to offer you events at low cost. All events have full scholarship opportunities and coupon codes for discounts available to anyone on our mailing list. The sessions will be hosted by Nynke Passi with Jennifer Espinoza and/or Eileen Espinoza. Some of our guests will be Mark Spragg, Kenny Kolter, Jennie Rothenburg, Sasha Parmasad, and more. Check out our upcoming events below or in our Calendar here. For a more detailed description, click here or below. Read More

 
 

Soul Bone℠ Literary Festival


Soul Bone has been a life changing experience I treasure daily. I am thrilled to be visiting Soul Bone and anchoring myself among the most incredible tribe of authentic creative souls I’ve ever met!
— Mari Maxwell, Festival Guest
I’ve been to several Soul Bone conferences — really awesome experiences — nothing compares.
— Festival Guest

Our Soul Bone℠ Literary Festivals are open to the public and held online via Zoom every February and every August / September. Our next festival will be the Spring ‘25 festival and will take place in February ‘25 with a packed literary schedule. You can view all of our past festivals by clicking “festival overview” below. The Soul Bone℠ Literary Festival has traditionally coincided with the residencies of the MFA in Creative Writing at MIU, since both were founded and are directed by Nynke Passi. The festival is co-sponsored by Soul Bone℠ and MIU’s MFA in Creative Writing.

ZOOM REGISTRATION of SOUL BONE EVENTS via EVENTBRITE
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we’ll send you regular coupons for discounts and update you on our offerings. Contact us at soulboneliterary@gmail.com or sign up below for our newsletter to get more information. If you want to learn more about our MFA in Creative Writing, contact Nynke Passi at npassi@miu.edu or check out our website here.

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Soul Bone℠ Overview


Soul Bone℠ Literary Center

Love to write? Our Soul Bone℠ literary center offers affordable online workshops and classes geared toward creative process, craft, and the intersection between writing, creativity, and healing. Please join us!

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Our Coalition of Writers

We are excited to introduce our Soul Bone℠ team: Nynke Passi, Jennifer Espinoza, and some of our regular festival guests who will be collaborating with us on workshops and online offerings.

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MIU’s MFA in Creative Writing

If you are thinking of joining MIU’s online MFA in creative writing, you can find out all you want to know here. We’ll introduce our faculty, students, classes, teaching philosophy, and more.

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Upcoming Workshops

Want to write and connect to a literary community? Find out about our upcoming workshops, which will be offered through our Soul Bone℠ literary center.

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Support Soul Bone℠

We have a crowdsourcing campaign going in order to better support the growth of Soul Bone℠. We use all donations and fees to pay our guests and offer low-cost or free events. We are so appreciative of your support!

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Upcoming Readings & Events

Feel like being inspired? All year, we offer free events and readings through our Soul Bone℠ literary center and literary festivals. We’ll start our summer offerings in July, 2023. Please join us!

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Soul Bone℠ News


 
 
 

StarWound present ‘Interiors Project’

The Anglophone Music Group “StarWound” flies from Greece and performs in six cities in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa, presenting new songs in collaboration with prominent poetry professors, students of the universities and poets of the local communities. They are also stopping at M.I.U. to work with our MFA students and undergraduate English and Cinematic Arts and New Media Students for a lyric workshop, plus they are offering a concert at Café Paradiso in Fairfield, Iowa, on Friday October 25 starting at 7:30 PM CT.

 
 

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