Poetry– Why Bother? On Why People Need Poetry with Jack Pasanen

Jack Pasanen has taught high school and college English since 1960.  He retired from his position as Chair of the English Department at Miss Porter’s School in 2002 and, since then, has been a volunteer teacher in several prisons in CT.  He is currently teaching a course, Experiencing Poetry, at Cheshire Correction Institute.  Jack has always been interested in the creative process and will share with his audience evidence––corroborated by current neurological research––that reading poetry, as well as writing it, expands the reader’s capacity to experience pleasure and emotional insight.

Finding Still Waters: The Art of Conscious Recovery with Amy LaBossiere

Amy LaBossiere is an award-winning mixed media artist, writer, and marketing consultant passionate about creativity and the arts. Her artwork has been exhibited in over 60 group exhibitions in Connecticut and New York, including a solo exhibition titled Conscious Evolution: Reflections on a Master’s Program. She recently won the prestigious Juror’s Award at the CT Women Artists Annual Juried Member Show for her artwork, Sober Friends.

Amy self-published her memoir, Finding Still Waters: The Art of Conscious Recovery, which explores her personal journey to recovery through creativity and mindfulness. She published an epilogue to the book this year.