Do you believe in the therapeutic power of written words? Lance Colie and Dr. Lissa McKinley do. They both turned to poetry and writing to help cope with the grief of a cancer diagnosis. On this edition of The Regina Brett Show, Lance and Dr. McKinley share with Regina how poetry helped them see the world with new light through the lens of cancer. Regina also reflects on the role writing played during her years battling breast cancer.
Plus, the president of the National Association of Poetry Therapy and the founder of the Writing Ways Workshops share how writing can help anyone find freedom.
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Guests on this show:
Thank you for this broadcast, Regina. Lance is a friend of mine, and I’ve seen his remarkable strength over the years. What I did not know about was his journaling and poetry. My first introduction to him was via an organization we were both in, in which his rich singing voice and comedic ability were stellar. These 2 attributes endeared (and still do, I’m sure, to many others) me to him. As a poet and journal-ist I, have also written of my life experiences, and the death of friends and family, and have encouraged others to do the same. The catharsis is amazing -as has been the joy of creating. It’s a wonderful coincidence that you, too, feel that your journal had/has been your best friend, soul mate, when no one else was there to talk to – mine has been the same. I had my school days of the Diary of loves lost and found, daily interactions with friends and family, and have it still … but it was not until my mother passed away in 1972 that I gravitated back to writing ,’talking to her’ via poems. and then beginning my first adult journal in ’73. I would reach for it before retiring , savoring the moments when I could write in it while in bed before saying good night to the day and feeling fuller than I had at the beginning of it. Many times poems sparked during the course of my thoughts and would have to be tended to – thus sleep time would come later than hoped for … but a deeper slumber prevailed. I must get back to those chats with/for myself – so much has happened since the last entry – I know I need the emptying out, and continuity of flowing again. Thank you for the reminder. And for me, pen to paper is still more powerful than keyboard to screen.
I had heard of the Gathering Place, and Poetry Therapy – thank you for bringing your program full circle. The words of those survivors, and family members of those who are not with them any more were beautiful and inspirational.
Most sincerely,
Jan Held