Melanie carries a unique voice that is both grounded and imaginative. Her ability to foster conversations where personal experiences transform into profound life lessons makes her a captivating speaker and thought leader. I am incredibly grateful for voices like Melanie’s, whose willingness to lead with courage, wisdom, and empathy has undoubtedly impacted my life and many others.
-Natalie Brown, author of Fifty-Two Cups of Coffee and former Sojourners fellow
This page includes affiliate links that support independent bookstores as well as my own calling to curate enriching literature, at no additional cost to you.
Stay tuned for new events and opportunities!
In the meantime, sign up for my newsletter below to be the first to know about new retreats, book clubs, and workshops.

Join the Poetry & Prayer Conversation!
Submit your email address below for my free newsletter that I send out on the 27th of every month. The newsletter is the first place where I announce new events, and it contains exclusive content:
- a personal reflection about where I’ve found poetry lately
- a “poetry around town” section of broader news, updates, and events
- “why poetry?” observations from a kaleidoscope of poets
- an invitation to conversation
Previous Workshops and Events I’ve Offered
To give you a feel for the types of events that I like to facilitate, here is a running list of previous events and workshops I’ve offered. You are always welcome to invite me to lead one or more of these events for your group. Feel free to contact me to inquire about crafting an event for your own context.
I will likely host some/all of these events again in the future. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to learn about the next time I host one of these events.
- How to Publish Poetry in Lit Mags & Journals
- Star word/word-of-the-year poetry workshop
- The Artist’s Way book club
- Introductory haiku workshop
- “Poetics of Resistance” poetry workshop, in partnership with Geez Magazine
- “Communing with Trees” day retreat, in partnership with Leah Rampy, and Geez Magazine
- Lenten poetry & prayer workshop series