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Poetry in Dangerous Times, From Witness to Resistance, Revisited: with Demetria Martinez. Mini-Retreat October 16-17, 2026

$170.00

Poetry in Dangerous Times, From Witness to Resistance, Revisited: with Demetria Martinez

October 16-17, 2026

In-person at Jules’ Poetry Playhouse, Placitas, NM - two days!

Friday, Oct 16 1 – 4 pm

followed by optional meal at the Bernalillo Range with Demetria and class

Saturday, Oct 17, 10 am – 4 pm  (with on-site lunch break)

Students commute to Jules’ Poetry Playhouse in Placitas, NM for both day sessions.

(if you want info on lodging, please email jules@poetryplayhouse.com)

The practice of poetry, both as readers and writers, is particularly crucial during times when resistance has seemed all but impossible. During this retreat we will read the work of poets who have resisted not only by bearing witness with their words (and deeds), but also by celebrating what nourishes the spirit and by imagining what a healed world might look like. We will read poems by Joy Harjo, Langston Hughes, Daisy Zamora, Martin Espada, William Stafford, Mahmoud Darwish, Norma Cantu, Susan Sherman, and Anna Akhmatova among others. These authors will provide points of departure for participants to write their own poetry. 

We will also discuss Demetria’s poem, "Nativity: For Two Salvadoran Women." The United States government attempted to use “Nativity” against her when she was indicted for allegedly bringing refugees into the country as part of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. She was facing a potential 25 years in prison but was ultimately acquitted on First Amendment grounds. This experience shows just how much governments recognize poetry as an act of resistance.

Join us as we are guided in the process of writing your poems—to build a “portfolio” of work to sustain and nourish your vision and activism in these times. Participants are also encouraged to bring one or two poems-in-progress to be reviewed by Demetria and the group.

No formal writing experience is needed to participate in this retreat; all writers, beginner or advanced, are welcome. Activists, contemplatives, and everyone in between are encouraged to participate. This two-day session allows for in-depth exploration, with ample time for reading others' poems and for your own writing. Handouts will be emailed prior to the retreat and used in class. All writing materials provided.

Click ADD TO CART and then see the CART BUTTON lower right (scroll down)

Poetry in Dangerous Times, From Witness to Resistance, Revisited: with Demetria Martinez

October 16-17, 2026

In-person at Jules’ Poetry Playhouse, Placitas, NM - two days!

Friday, Oct 16 1 – 4 pm

followed by optional meal at the Bernalillo Range with Demetria and class

Saturday, Oct 17, 10 am – 4 pm  (with on-site lunch break)

Students commute to Jules’ Poetry Playhouse in Placitas, NM for both day sessions.

(if you want info on lodging, please email jules@poetryplayhouse.com)

The practice of poetry, both as readers and writers, is particularly crucial during times when resistance has seemed all but impossible. During this retreat we will read the work of poets who have resisted not only by bearing witness with their words (and deeds), but also by celebrating what nourishes the spirit and by imagining what a healed world might look like. We will read poems by Joy Harjo, Langston Hughes, Daisy Zamora, Martin Espada, William Stafford, Mahmoud Darwish, Norma Cantu, Susan Sherman, and Anna Akhmatova among others. These authors will provide points of departure for participants to write their own poetry. 

We will also discuss Demetria’s poem, "Nativity: For Two Salvadoran Women." The United States government attempted to use “Nativity” against her when she was indicted for allegedly bringing refugees into the country as part of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. She was facing a potential 25 years in prison but was ultimately acquitted on First Amendment grounds. This experience shows just how much governments recognize poetry as an act of resistance.

Join us as we are guided in the process of writing your poems—to build a “portfolio” of work to sustain and nourish your vision and activism in these times. Participants are also encouraged to bring one or two poems-in-progress to be reviewed by Demetria and the group.

No formal writing experience is needed to participate in this retreat; all writers, beginner or advanced, are welcome. Activists, contemplatives, and everyone in between are encouraged to participate. This two-day session allows for in-depth exploration, with ample time for reading others' poems and for your own writing. Handouts will be emailed prior to the retreat and used in class. All writing materials provided.

Click ADD TO CART and then see the CART BUTTON lower right (scroll down)

Class limit 10 students.

This is a two day retreat class. Please plan on commuting to Jules Poetry Playhouse for Friday afternoon, with optional out to eat after, and then returning for Saturday day. Lunch break on-site on Saturday. Bring your own lunch if desired. Plentiful snacks and beverages provided (coffee, tea, water, bagels and fruit in morning, afternoon snacks). Ample time to explore the grounds of Jules’ Poetry Playhouse and walk the labyrinth.

Bring writing materials, free wi-fi if needed.

Hosted by Jules Nyquist and John Roche.

Author books will be for sale, along with Poetry Playhouse Publications books and art.

Directions and contact info sent with registration. Email jules@poetryplayhouse.com. Email us if you want a list of nearby hotels for lodging.

Directions sent upon registration. No refunds; however, you may apply the fee to another class or merchandise if you need to cancel. If there is a waitlist and you need to cancel a 75% refund is at the discretion of Jules Poetry Playhouse.

Writer, poet and immigrant rights activist, Demetria Martinez was born and raised in Albuquerque. Her most recent book, released in 2025, and coauthored with Susan Sherman, is titled Poetry in Dangerous Times: Two Women, Two Worlds. The book, published by Casa Urraca Press, opens with a dialogue about art and activism among other topics and includes a collection of poetry by both authors.

Martinez earned a BA from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs from Princeton University and went on to pursue a career as a religion reporter for the National Catholic Reporter and the Albuquerque Journal. Her books include three poetry collections, The Devil’s Workshop (2002), Breathing Between The Lines (1997), and Turning (1987), which appeared in an anthology of three Chicana poets.

She is the author of the novella, The Block Captain’s Daughter, a recipient of the 2013 American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation, and the widely translated novel, Mother Tongue (1994) which won a Western States Book Award. The novel was inspired by her 1988 indictment on charges of conspiring to smuggle Central American refugees into the United States; she was later acquitted on First Amendment grounds. In 2013 she coauthored an ebook with former Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, These People Want to Work: Immigration Reform. Her essay collection, Confessions of a Berlitz-Tape Chicana (2005) won an International Latino Book Award. She has been a recipient of the Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature. With Rosalee Montoya-Read, she coauthored Grandpa’s Magic Tortilla (2010), which won a New Mexico Book Awards’ Young Readers Book Award.

Martinez lives in La Cienega, New Mexico with her wife, their hens, goats and dogs.