“Meet the Teacher” offers a quick introduction to The Porch’s Teaching Writers. Today we introduce Claire Coenen, who is teaching Writing for Healing and Writing as an Antidote to Existential Dread this fall. Claire Coenen is a writer and social worker based in Nahsville, Tennessee where she teaches expressive writing, SoulCollage®, and yoga. She received her Master of Education and Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Social Work from The University of Tennessee.

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Tell us about a book you've recently read and enjoyed.

I recently finished Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore. It’s a surprisingly practical and creative book about prioritizing the soul in our lives. The word “soul” is one that has eluded me for a long time. I still can’t pin it down, but this book explores the soul through metaphors and mythology in ways are useful to me.  Here is quote from the first chapter that I’ve been wondering about: “…in care of the soul there is trust that nature heals, that much can be accomplished by not-doing.”

What’s one craft book or essay you return to again and again?

I love Wild Mind by Natalie Goldberg so much! I draw from this book a lot in my teaching, and it’s helped me loosen up as a writer. Natalie Goldberg emphasizes that skillful craft is rooted in knowing and trusting your unique voice. Developing intimacy with your voice requires time, gentleness, and permission to, in the words of Natalie Goldberg, “write shit.” I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to find more freedom and playfulness on the page.

Natalie Goldberg emphasizes that skillful craft is rooted in knowing and trusting your unique voice. Developing intimacy with your voice requires time, gentleness, and permission to, in the words of Natalie Goldberg, “write shit.”

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What is your favorite writing rule to break?

It’s hard to pick one. As a poet, I’m breaking grammar rules a lot. You’ll find dangling participles and run-on sentences scattered throughout my poems. I enjoy writing poetry, in part, because it gives me the freedom to create collages with language. I can let go of past conditioning to make something neat, tidy, and just right.

Music while writing: Y/N?

No, but I listen to music a lot. It’s a key part of my life. I think the lyrics, melodies, and rhythms I’m listening to when I’m not writing end up influencing my work.

What do you love most about teaching writing?

Connecting with the creativity, honesty, and idiosyncrasies of other people through writing brings me a lot of joy. It’s meaningful for me to encourage people to mold the raw material of their lives into layered, vibrant stories and poems. In my experience, sharing writing makes people feel less alone, and I like offering spaces where that can happen.  

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Tell us why you pitched this class.

I took Writing for Healing at The Porch in 2016, and I asked to teach it last year because the class had a powerful, lasting impact on my life. The page has a remarkable capacity to hold whatever needs to be held, and language can be a loyal companion in connecting with our whole selves through creative expression. I loved taking this class, I’ve loved teaching it, and I’m excited to offer it again!

The page has a remarkable capacity to hold whatever needs to be held, and language can be a loyal companion in connecting with our whole selves through creative expression.

I pitched Writing as an Antidote to Existential Dread because I wanted to offer something grounding and encouraging in the weeks leading up to the presidential election. When I’m feeling anxious about the world and its future, I try to lean into creative practices and read work by writers who lived courageously. We will do both in this workshop.

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