Creative Writing Across the Curriculum How can teachers encourage students to engage more deeply with course material? Brain research shows that the brain retains information that is connected to a larger picture, that has an emotional component, and that relates to the human search for meaning. Creative writing assignments can fill these needs and make course content come alive. My thanks to Community College Humanities Association for whom this lecture was first prepared.

A Poem's Reincarnation Can a poem truly survive translation? This interactive talk explores methods of translation, compares two published translations, and invites listeners to translate a four-line poem. Discover how monoglots translate, and why the best translator is not the scholar, not the native speaker, but a poet. My thanks to Bennington College, for whom this lecture was first prepared.

Poet's Toolbox: What's in it, How to use it! How do poets generate ideas for writing? What techniques do they use to bring their writing alive? Learn a poet's tricks of the trade in this 2-hour presentation. My thanks to Keller Writers' Group for whom this was first prepared.

Pushing Your Poem to the Next Level You've heard the same advice on poem writing over and over: strong verbs, vivid images, and one nice metaphor should yield a good poem. But how can you transform a good poem into a great one? By explaining issues like Voice, Rewriting for the Selfish reader, and Sound Play, this presentation shows you how to push your poem to the next level. My thanks to Tarrant County College's Cuyler Etheredge, for whose class this was prepared.

Writing as a Spiritual Activity Are you looking for a way to develope your inner life? Learn how writing, whether as journaling, memoir, poem writing, or story writing can help you reflect, work through emotional challenges, and capture the small miracles of your life. My thanks to New World United Methodist Church, Arlington, TX, for whom this was first prepared.

Imago Dei, a three-part series Enjoy poems that reveal the Divine through Nature, Children, and Relationships. With a mix of original poems and those she admires, Rebecca explores how poetry can connect us to our Source. My thanks to New World United Methodist Church of Arlington, TX, for whom this lecture was first prepared.

From Description to Discovery Discover how to turn everyday objects and situations into poems! Learn how to widen the aperture of a description to include a larger message in this 30 minute talk. Bring paper and pencil, as this presentaion includes an exercise. My thanks to the Fort Worth Poetry Society for whom this was first prepared.