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Heartland Poly Conference |
Posted: 05/28/2008 |
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I’ve just returned from the Heartland Polyamory Conference (www.heartlandpoly.com), held at Our Haven (www.ourhaven.info), a rustic retreat center near French Lick, IN. I had been asked to do a couple of workshops there, based on my book. This conference is an annual event, so I’d like to give my impressions, for anyone who might want to come in future years.
The conference drew some very good workshop presenters. Besides my own, there were workshops on getting a local poly group going and keeping it active and interesting; spiritual energy holography and patterns in multi-adult configurations, and implications for polyamory in the evolution of future life forms on a higher level, where individual human beings would be roughly comparable to individual organs in a human or other animal body (that workshop being led by a strong empath and healer, clearly quite evolved herself); techniques for sensual massage, based on eastern spiritual concepts; perspectives of a gay poly man; a discussion of being secondary.
There are no cabins at Our Haven; all participants must provide their own tent or camper trailer, plus bedding etc. There are a couple of motels in the town of French Lick, about a 15-minute drive from Our Haven.
A word of caution: Lots of people smoke there—conference organizers and participants alike. It’s like 1960 anywhere else in the country: The smokers just assume that everyone will be okay breathing their smoke; they never ask before lighting up; and they express surprise when you ask them not to smoke in a workshop, next to you at a meal, etc. Even the restaurants in the area allow smoking in the same air space as the “nonsmoking section”. So be prepared to have to deal with this.
As for the food—well, it was adequate in quantity. Bring your dietary supplements. Bring your own food if you’re not flying in. Only dinners were included in the conference cost; we had to pay separately for breakfast and lunch. |
The Polyamory Handbook appears! |
Posted: 04/15/2008 |
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Everyone who has seen the manuscript of this book, or a piece of it, during the preparation stages has told me that this is an important work that needs to be out there for the polyamory community, as well as for others, such as the poly-curious, swingers, friends and relatives, and professional relationship counselors (because the latter typically get no training in how to handle multi-adult relationship issues).
I'm excited, then, that the work is finally published and available through all the physical and online book retail channels.
If you like the book, I hope you'll tell your friends. If you have a suggestion for something to add, or something different to say about a topic that I do cover, please let me know (petebenson@starpower.net), because I hope that this will be an ongoing reference work, with future editions.
I'm also looking for opportunities to do book signings in local book stores or other venues, lead workshops at polyamory conferences or other relationship and personal growth settings, have vendor tables at festivals, and the like. Suggestions would be welcome, especially for my home area, the Pacific Northwest. |
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