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The Rooster Moans Poetry Cooperative has been providing low-cost, high-quality online poetry workshops since 2007. Now, we're launching a new labor of love: to raise enough scratch to build a solid foundation for our permanent, physical home.
Yep, we're ready to turn off our
computers (just for a little while; our online workshops will continue
to thrive!) and turn on to birdsong, mountain shadow,
waterfalls, wildflowers, river rocks.
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The vitality of our online community has made us fast-knit friends, even though most of us have never met face-to-face. We now crave a space where people of all phases of their writing lives can gather in a resplendent setting to break bread, gawk at gorgeous sunsets, and talk poetry in-between plenty of private time carved out for writing. And all the thrills of New York City just one-and-a-half hours away by train.
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We envision an energy efficient (solar-powered, geothermal heated and cooled), cooperatively-run building that will house poetry workshops, readings, and retreats in the Catskill Mountains of New York State, a bewitching location, certain to ignite that transcendent thing that happens whenever and wherever creative people gather: spontaneous inspiration sparking hot off a wood fire.
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Key to the success of The Rooster Moans (poetrycoop.com) is our motto: “Workshops that work.” We believe that anyone can write poetry and improve their craft with hard work and a supportive community.
We subscribe to the seven guiding principles of cooperatives: education
and training, choice, voice, and non-discrimination, to name a few. Our workshops are gently priced to accommodate the starving artist budget, with a few higher-end workshops offered to support our philanthropy, and several each year offered free of charge.
Our retreats will also be easy on the wallet, because we'll offset their costs by reaping the greater-good benefits of working cooperatively. You'll be able to contribute your special talent, whether it's cooking, gardening, photography, marketing, or simply making sure everyone is having a sublime time.
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We need just enough to offset the cost of building a solid foundation for a permanent, physical home. Based on gifts received, we'll begin to raise and equip our barn in phases. If our goal is reached, we'll open our barn doors in Summer/Fall 2014, or at latest, Spring/Summer 2015.
If we exceed our goal, those additional funds will be put toward labor, food, and honorariums sufficient to entice brilliant poets for conversations and
workshops.
Perks are poetic; from books to online poetry workshops to gift
certificates—to an exclusive invitation to our launch celebration—a veritable hoedown featuring fresh local food and bevvies, readings and tunes. You can even sponsor a barn board and have it inscribed with your name and a line of your own poetry.
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Want to learn more about us? Check out the following press:
We have worked tirelessly and managed to self-fund since our incubation, but now we're asking you for a leg-up. Even if you can't spare a dime, you can still get involved:
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Volunteer your time, labor and skills! Good at carpentry/construction? Looking to hone your catering, photography, or video documentary skills? Contact us at workshops@poetrycoop.com. We'll find a way to put your talents to good use.
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Spread the gospel! Raise some hay! Use the Indiegogo share
tools, email your friends, and talk to people who you think will love
and support our campaign. The more people we reach, the better chance we have of reaching our goal.
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Photos 1, 5, and 6: Alec Perkins
Photo 2: Chris Abramides
Photo 3: Charles Knowles
Photo 4: Pfadfinder am Lagerfeuer (Scouts around a campfire)
Illustration: Sean McMenemy
Photo 7:
Leonardo Aguiar
