Workshop with Heather Swan
The Ginny Soldner Poetry Collaborative announces the second cohort of: A Year of Poetry and Introspection
A 12-month journey for poets in a community of writers
May 29 - June 1 at the Soldner Center
Twice monthly meetings on Zoom July 2026 - May 2027
Click here for more workshop details
Application deadline: March 1, 2026
Join poet and author Heather Swan with visiting poet James Crews for a 4-day poetry workshop in Aspen followed by a year-long writing journey on Zoom with Heather, your new writing community and visiting poets.
Heather is a warm and wholehearted teacher who will help you delve fully into expressing your ideas and voice. She brings insightful empathy and introspection to her own writing and will help guide you to reach into your own strengths and courage and inspire new perspectives.
“Poetry is a pathway to know yourself and the world more deeply.” [Heather Swan]
Photos from the 2025 Poetry Collaborative Workshop
Submission Guidelines & Application
Space is limited to 12 participants. Applications are due by March 1, 2026.
Click the link below to apply.
Application Guidelines:
Please submit three original poems using the application form above.
These may be published or unpublished. The poems will not be released to anyone or entity outside the Soldner Center.Please include your name, city and state, and tell us about your writing experience, intentions and reason for wanting to join this writing community using 250 words or less.
You will be notified of acceptance by April 1 and you will have until April 15 to reserve your seat with your first payment.
MEET THE Poetry leader & visiting poet
Website: heatherswan.net
Facebook: Heather Swan
Heather Swan, MFA and PhD, is a poet and nonfiction writer. She is the author of the nonfiction books Where the Grass Still Sings: Stories of Insects and Interconnection and Where Honeybees Thrive: Stories from the Field (Penn State Press) the latter of which won the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.
Her nonfiction has appeared in such journals as The Sun, Emergence, Catapult, Lit Hub, Aeon, and Minding Nature. Her poems have appeared in such journals as Cold Mountain, The Hopper, One Art, Poet Lore, Phoebe, The Raleigh Review, and Terrain. Her book of poems, A Kinship with Ash (Terrapin Books), published in 2020, was a finalist for the ASLE Book Award and long-listed for the Julie Suk Award. A second collection, Dandelion, was published in 2023. She is also a recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, the Maud Weinschenk Award, the August Derleth Prize for Poetry, the John Tigges Poetry Award, A Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets Chapbook Award, and an honorable mention for the Lorine Niedecker Award.
She teaches environmental literature and writing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Website: jamescrews.net
Instagram: @james.crews.poet
James Crews is the visiting poet for the Aspen workshop where he will give a craft talk and share his poetry at a public reading. He is the editor of several bestselling anthologies, including The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which has over 100,000 copies in print.
James’ most recent book, Breathing Room (available March 2026) emphasizes the importance of slowing down and cultivating peace amid life’s chaos. The anthology Love Is for All of Us: Poems of Tenderness was edited with his husband Brad Peacock and are a celebration of all kinds of love.
James is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry - The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment—and a book of short essays, Kindness Will Save the World: Stories of Compassion and Connection.
James also speaks and leads workshops on kindness, mindfulness, and writing for self-compassion. He lives with his husband on forty rocky acres in the woods of Southern Vermont.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
Maximum Number of Participants: 12
Aspen Workshop Event: May 29, 11 am to 8 pm; May 30, 9 am to 8 pm; May 31, 9 am to 8 pm; June 1, 9 am to 1 pm
Public Poetry Reading: May 30, 7 pm - 8 pm; Free event at the Aspen Chapel featuring Heather Swan and James Crews, followed by a book-signing reception.
Twice Monthly Zoom Meetings: Second Thursdays, 6 pm – 8 pm CT; and Fourth Thursdays, 6 pm – 7 pm CT (Holidays excepted)
Cost of the 12-month workshop: $1800 payable in 3 installments after acceptance. (1st payment by April 15; second payment by May 29th; third payment by December 31st.) There will be a 10% discount for full payment at time of registration. All payments are non-refundable. For any questions, contact Lonnie Buerge, Coordinator, at info@soldnercenter.com.
Scholarship: Limited scholarships are available and information can be requested after acceptance.
What to Bring: A pen/pencil and a writing journal.
The weather in Aspen can be quite changeable in late May/early June. Wear or bring layers of comfortable clothing, an all-weather jacket and appropriate shoes for walking outdoors.
Accessibility: ADA Accessible
Meals: Included for all four days along with drinks and snacks
Lodging Information: The Inn at Aspen is about a 15 minute walk from the Soldner Center and is offering generous discounted rates (for this event only). Call Haley for reservations: (970) 544-3327.
Interviews with past Guest poetS
Click the link above to listen to Zoom interviews with Heather Swan and guest poets.
THE GINNY SOLDNER POETRY COLLABORATIVE
The Soldner Center for the Arts and Innovation is excited to announce the second cohort of the Ginny Soldner Poetry Collaborative. This continuing commitment to the art of writing by the Soldner Center is in honor of the legacy of Ginny Soldner.