The Art of Being and Language – Guided by Mirkka Rekola's Poetry 7/2027

“The Art of Being and Language” is a course on reading and writing poetry in the spirit of Mirkka Rekola’s poetry. On the course, poetry is understood as a companion to being. Mirkka Rekola lived in Heinävesi near New Valamo around the turn of the 1980s and 90s, where her books were among the most borrowed in the library. Thus, it is natural to delve into poetry following her footsteps at Valamo College. On the five-day course, both Mirkka Rekola's poetry and other poetry will be read, as well as writing oneself. The course explores ways to invigorate and broaden the relationship between experience and language in reading, writing, and observing language. We will ponder what “life poem,” “gifts of language,” and “construction” mean in Mirkka Rekola's work, and how these can be applied oneself. We will consider etymology, emotions, corporeality, and the multidimensionality of words. Language concerns all that is human, including silenced and silencing experiences. Poetry can be a voice for the voiceless. In the art of being, there is room for the entire spectrum of humanity. We will also consider questions such as the significance of memory in literary art or how the experience of poetry can be shared. Whether you aim for a poetic work or to shape your life through verses, the course offers new perspectives. On the course, you will get acquainted with your own reading habits, which is the most natural starting point. We encounter ourselves as writing and reading beings. The course serves writing and reading both as a profession and a hobby. The course also touches upon the significance of Orthodoxy in Rekola's poetry, but the course is not religious. The course is led by Jonimatti Joutsijärvi, poet, performance artist, religious scholar, and Rekola's biographer. The language of instruction is Finnish.