jolenesheehan community writing, memories

The Power Of Language

This month started with an engaging online session with Yaron Matras from Manchester City of Languages. We explored the theme of language as a landscape for both connection and disconnection, and our rich and diverse conversation is now available on Youtube

Our follow-up in-person meeting also covered a wide array of topics, from the nuance of gestures to the humour and frustration of miscommunication, and the universal reach of music. It reminded me of the power and limits of language to convey complex human experience and the deeper, quest for authenticity and truth of which language is a part.

In this blog post you will discover the thoughts and perspectives from our gatherings, demonstrating the various ways in which language brings us together, presents us with obstacles, and enhances our comprehension of one another.

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margaretkendall community writing

The Meaning of Home

We talked about what “home” means for us. We talked about where and when we feel at home, about the people who make or made us feel that way and about the comforts of our own homes. We shared our sadness for those who’ve had to flee their homes, for those for whom home is not a safe place to be and for those who have no homes. The strong emotions of those conversations inspired some of us to share our thoughts in the poetry and prose which follows. We hope that our insights are meaningful to you too. We hope also that, after reading them, you may experience the same sense of gratitude for “home” that we experienced as we left our meetings.

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