Classes / Workshops




	For more information regarding workshops and presentations & for one-on-one phone lessons or podcast classes: mankh(a)allbook-books.com ph# (631) 716-1385 -- 10a.m. - 7p.m. Eastern Time * * * * * *List of presentations and workshops -- for more info scroll down* * FINDING YOUR VOICE: LETTING THE MUSES SING IN YOU * THE MEDITATIVE HOBBY OF BRUSH CALLIGRAPHY * THE STATES WE'RE IN: WHAT'S IN A PLACE NAME? * SELF-IDENTITY & THE ART OF TANTRA * HAIKU: Being in the Moment: Flowing with the Seasons * FINDING BALANCE: Eastern Serenity Meets Western Activity * How To Research, Write, and Publish Author-editor of 17 books ranging from poetry to essays to poetic nonfiction and anthologies, Mankh is also a small press publisher. He is resident poet and essay contributor at axisoflogic.com. He travels a holistic mystic Kaballah-rooted pathway staying in touch with Turtle Island. "Guaranteed to offer an out of the ordinary creative experience, Mankh's eclectic repertoire will appeal to enthusiasts of the written word, metaphysics, and Eastern arts and philosophy." ~Anne Marie Tognella, Programs & Public Relations, Community Services Dept., Sachem Public Library "Mankh has provided us with enjoyable, interesting programs about Tantra, Brushstroke Calligraphy, and his poetry. We're very happy to host him when we can." ~Stacey Cagno-Schilb Reference Librarian, Adult Programming Coordinator, Hampton Library in Bridgehampton Mankh has led programs at Bayport-Bluepoint Library, North Shore Library, Deer Park Library, Bellport Library, Bridgehampton Library, Smithtown Library, Middle Country Public Library, Sachem Library, Emma Clark Library, Mattituck-Laurel Library, Longwood Library, Elwood Library, East End Arts Council, Mills Pond House, Long Island Healing Arts & Learning Center, Feelin O2 Good Holistic Wellness Center, Blue Lotus Center for Yoga and the Arts, and other venues. * * * * * FINDING YOUR VOICE: LETTING THE MUSES SING IN YOU (Picasso) Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Robert Fitzgerald) begins: “Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story...” The Prayer of St. Francis begins: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” This presentation/discussion poses the question: How does your writing and your voice change when you allow other energies in? Mankh will discuss various approaches to this process, ranging from the Greek Muses to haiku to Ray Bradbury to observing signs from Nature to guidance from Spirit to the individual writer’s innate way of tapping into multiple personas and perspectives. Whether you call them Muses or not, observing, listening to and honoring other beings can enhance ‘your’ writings. audio class 46-minutes SELF-IDENTITY & THE ART OF TANTRA Conscious tantra helps a person liberate from a prison of false self-identities and traumas. Every day we are affected by energies: ourselves, other people’s, the weather, pets, moods, emotions and more. How you adapt to and navigate these energies is a key part of the art of tantra. Many people associate tantra with sexuality because that is the most intimate and direct form, however tantra in its fuller sense reflects how, especially with those we hang-out with, we mirror or 'rub off' on each other, sometimes losing ourselves, sometimes finding ourselves. A classic example of tantra is the married couple who know each other so well that when speaking they can complete each other’s sentences. Sanskrit tantram, "loom, warp, weave” - tan "stretch, extend, expand", and suffix tra "instrument, technique, that which liberates"– loosely defined as: stretching your consciousness so as to liberate from limited experiences/perceptions/etc., and learning how to consciously be 'played' by various energies. Mankh draws on 38 years of learning from direct experiences, accentuated because of his empathic nature. THE STATES WE'RE IN: WHAT'S IN A PLACE NAME? More than half of the United States (land called Turtle Island by the Original Inhabitants) are named from Native words and places yet rarely are the actual Native Peoples and their traditions acknowledged. This presentation bridges the gap between name and Peoples, place and respect for the environment aka Mother Earth. How united are the United States and what can be done to heal the long-standing divisions? Suggested reading and actions are also part of this wide-ranging, informative, and stirring presentation. Also info about Long Island. Mankh's book-length epic poem Singing an Epic of Peace includes some of the origins of the fifty States’ names. Sales of this book go to the Shinnecock and Lakota Nations. HAIKU: Being in the Moment: Flowing with the Seasons: must be good friends, three sparrows gathering on a lilac branch - Mankh Though its roots go back at least 2600 years, haiku began to flourish in 17th century Japan. Akin to Zen Buddhist and Taoist philosophy (and other Asian arts), haiku poetry encourages attention to the present moment as well as keeping connected with the pathway of seasons. A wonderful way to align with nature, enhance one's mindfulness (as well as Zen mindlessness), and hone your verbal skills (being so short, haiku require great precision!). Learn about haiku as a way of life, literary genre and creative hobby. Workshop topics include: a brief history of the shortest poetic form; traditional guidelines and modern adaptations; the Asian culture, philosophy, and meditative-ness behind the poem; how to write haiku AND apply the haiku-essence to longer poems. For beginner to advanced. Mankh authored/edited Haiku One Breaths, a how-to write haiku, plus anthology, & edits and publishes Haiku Calendar. His haiku and essays have also been published in Frogpond, at simplyhaiku.com, and elsewhere. THE MEDITATIVE HOBBY OF BRUSH CALLIGRAPH The ancient technique of East Asian brush calligraphy has been considered part art form and part meditation. In this basic presentation you will learn how to grind ink, hold a brush, and apply basic brushstrokes, as well as how to respect the "five treasures" - brush, ink stick, ink stone, paper, and water. Plus, get a glimpse of ancient Chinese picture-writing and modern variants. Those wanting a more in-depth experience are welcome to bring their own brush calligraphy kit; brushes, paper, and ink will be provided so that participants can learn by brush calligraphying the ancient Chinese pictographs for the four seasons. For an in-depth look at this ancient art FINDING BALANCE: Eastern Serenity Meets Western Activity also called CHANGE OF PACE: Finding Your Rhythm with Eastern Philosophies A Cultural, Philosophical and Artistic presentation about what happens when East and West meet. Find ways to balance your daily rhythms. From the East, The Way of Tao advises "going and pausing" on one's life-path. In the West, however, we are often told to "keep going and going and..." Yet, Native Peoples’ ways of the ‘true West’ are akin to those of the East. Through Zen stories, music, poetry, current events, discussion, and more, this presentation will share ways to help learn about and balance East and West within. To read Mankh’s essay on the topic: “East and West, More or Less” http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/Article_61947.shtml Mankh authored/edited Haiku One Breaths, a how-to write haiku, plus anthology, & edits and publishes Haiku Calendar. His haiku and essays have also been published in Frogpond, at simplyhaiku.com, and elsewhere. How To Research, Write, and Publish Get tips for researching via the internet, library, or people, plus how to integrate the research with your particular project as well as the creative process in general. Complete the equation by exploring various approaches for getting your work published. The overall process is a mix of clerical work and creativity. Mankh (Walter E. Harris III) has sixteen-plus years of experience designing, editing, and helping produce nearly 70 books. He is resident poet and essay contributor at axisoflogic.com, and his writings have been published elsewhere both online and in print: Long Island Pulse, Newsday.com, Creations Magazine, Outlook Long Island, The Long-Islander, PoetryBay.com; Book/Mark: A Quarterly Small Press Review, counterpunch.com, Starting From Paumanok... The Newsletter of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, Performance Poets Association Literary Review, Frogpond, simplyhaiku.com, various local anthologies, and more. Website © 2021 Walter E. Harris III.