Published MFA Poet Melanie WeldonSoiset
My mission is to connect poetry, prayer, & social justice so as wanderers, we can find our true homes.
I host poetry & prayer workshops, book clubs, and retreats. I also host Poetry Roam: a Craft and Generative Poetry Lounge. Poetry Roam provides an opportunity not only to dally in the magic of verse, but also to draft new poems. These virtual lounges are open to all poetry levels, including beginner.
Each session focuses on a different craft element, and offers example poems for exploration. There is ample time to freewrite, with an optional prompt provided. Each lounge concludes with debriefing and sharing to each person's comfort level.
Here is the autumn 2024 Poetry Roam Schedule:
- September 6: image
- September 13: metaphor
- September 27: sound play
- October 4: diction / word choice (canceled)
- October 18: art of the line
- November 1: form
- November 15: speaker and point of view
- November 22: punctuation
Poetry Roam tickets are sliding scale. Each session is $15-25.
Starting with the September 13th/metaphor lounge, all Poetry Roam sessions also now include a "Bring a Friend for Free" option. Click on the individual links to learn more.
I have an MFA in poetry from the Naslund-Mann School of Writing at Spalding University, and a Master of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. My poetry lives in Presence, Sunlight Press, Clerestory, Tipton Poetry Journal, and others. I'm a Washington Writers' Publishing House contest winner, #ChurchToo survivor, and former pastor for foreigners in Shanghai. I served as the final Poetry Editor at Geez Magazine.
I'm also a highly sensitive person (HSP) who struggles with insomnia, yet values insights gained through dreaming. I'm from Georgia, land of Muscogee and Cherokee, and I currently live in DC, on Nacotchtank territory. Find me in real life biking on local greenways. Find me online (including my poetry and prayer missive) at melanieweldonsoiset.com (IG: @MelanieWelSoi).