For ten days in July 2022, we’ll come together for an extended conversation that asks: how can we speak to each other in a way that moves us all, individually and collectively, to growth, learning, creativity and change? During this Salon we will delve into eternal spiritual questions and sacred stories and tap into the wisdom of poetry & song. We’ll consider what it means to stay deeply attuned to our world today, while remaining active and consciously aware of how we can best nurture one another and ourselves for the times ahead.
In reflecting upon how an inner life needs to pivot in order to contribute to an engaged outer life of justice and equity, we will look for language that is strong enough to encourage and enable a journey of change; a journey deeper into the common good.
During our days & evenings together, we will consider spiritual and human questions such as: What does it mean to be human on this planet today? Who do we need to be to each other? What stories have guided our lives? Have they been good enough? How do our songs & poems connect us to a deeper sense of history and our humanity? What does it mean to be spiritual within or outside of formal religious thought and traditions?
We’ll gather to share and celebrate how the power of narratives and verse remind us of what can be so easy to forget: that the flourishing of one community has often happened at the expense of each other in this world; that there is no other; that change is possible; that conversation can deepen change.
“Taking in the good, whenever and wherever we find it,
gives us new eyes for seeing and living.”
We will use the lens of language and the gifts of music to explore the human condition as the world struggles to emerge out of the Covid pandemic, and continues to face the persistent pandemic of racism and the ecological crisis.
We will share tools and practices for the art of living and learning. For all this our souls will be generously fueled by powerful poetry and inspiring music. We’ll also need good food, and each other. We will have those in plenty.
To guide and inspire our time together, we are thrilled to welcome five wonderfully talented, wise thought leaders and creative artists:
Krista Tippett is the founder and CEO of The On Being Project, a nonprofit media and public life initiative making a multiple-award winning public radio show, podcasts and providing tools for the art of living. With over 400 million downloads of On Being’s episodes, Krista’s work is in the art of listening, learning, changing and re-imagining a re-oriented world with timely and timeless wisdoms.
Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet and theologian and the host of On Being’s Poetry Unbound podcast. Working for many years in conflict resolution — both in his native Ireland and further afield — he brings the intuition of an artist to the questions of religion, power and conflict. While Pádraig’s interests span arts, poetry, conflict and religion, it is primarily language that compels him: what is the surprise of language that might help its users move toward creativity, in life, in art, in politics and community?
Rhiannon Giddens is an acclaimed musician who uses her art to excavate the past and reveal bold truths about our present. A MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, Giddens co-founded the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, and she has been nominated for six additional Grammys for her work as a soloist and collaborator. She has recently been named the new Artistic Director of the Yo-Yo Ma founded Silkroad Ensemble, and her opera Omar will debut in Charleston at the Spoleto Festival USA in 2022.
Joe Henry, whose career spans more than 35 years, has left an indelible and unique imprint on American popular music. As a songwriter and artist, Henry is celebrated for his exploration of the human experience. A three-time-Grammy-winning producer, Henry has made records for Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, Joan Baez, Rodney Crowell and Rhiannon Giddens among many others. His latest album is The Gospel According to Water.
Francesco Turrisi is a Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist who has been defined a “musical alchemist” and a “musical polyglot” by the press. He collaborates with Rhiannon Giddens on a duo project that seamlessly combines music from the Mediterranean with music from the African diaspora in the Americas. Their latest album, They’re Calling Me Home, is a twelve-track album, recorded in Ireland during the recent lockdown.
We’ll meet with these five luminous cultural creators near the slow rhythms of the Aegean Sea, take time to explore the sacred island of Patmos, swim (and float) in salty waters, venture on the sea by boat, share bread around common tables, and build & bond a community of enriched souls for the journey ahead. There will be plenty of time to be on your own to reflect and explore, as well as moments to connect with a diverse range of other wonderful humans.
And what better place than Patmos to examine the perennial challenge, depth and complexity of the ancient spiritual quest?
$4,250 per person, double occupancy.
$1,450 for Single Room Supplement (limited number available).
$150 discount (per person) for friends/spouses sharing a room.
* A limited number of 'non-participant' fee options offered for spouses/partners.
GoodWorld Journeys prioritizes the health and safety of all GWJ Staff, Teachers & Salon participants. Therefore, proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 and on-site rapid COVID-19 testing will be required to participate in all our 2022 Salons.
"Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination."