Hidden Wine presents

a musician and drummer, is a man who is in love with the language of sound. A regular teacher at this conference since 1993 it is always an honor to have Miguel teach drumming, read poetry, and in leading rituals and reaching out to new particpants. We are priviledged to have his guidance for our journey together during this conference

village elder, author, comes to us from the Dagara Tribe of West Africa. He an astonishing teacher, able to bring in ideas almost unheard of in the West. His first book was Of Water and The Spirit, and his latest book is The Healing Wisdom of Africa. Malidoma, as a representative of his village in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and an initiated elder, has come to the west to share the ancient wisdom and practices which have supported his people for thousands of years. African wisdom, so long held secret, is being called on to provide tools to enable us to move into a more peaceful and empowered way of being, both within ourselves, and within our communities.

will be teaching from his brand new book ‘A Branch From The Lightning Tree: Ecstatic Myth and the Grace in Wildness’. In it he is claiming we are societally addicted to the act of severance and have replaced Longing with Disappointment. This, in turn, creates a defense against our own beauty. For a step towards authentic leadership in men he is suggesting the ancient idea of a ‘Road of Solitude and Road of Voice’; a cherising of silence, wilderness and interior listening met with the ability to articulate clearly and passionately the desires of our own lives. With a cluster of Initiatory myths, deft commentary and time on the land, Shaw proposes a ‘Culture of Wildness’ is possible, indeed vital, for a restoration of soul in men’s lives.

As a gifted singer, musician, and storyteller, he brings the luminous mythological to the conference. Danny Deardorff carries mysteries into a new place. “Myth is a story that tells a sacred truth without the use of facts.”

A 6th Degree Black Belt, Tom is a returning teacher this year. He has taught Aikido for over 30 years, and is the Chief Instructor of East Bay Aikido in Oakland, CA. He teaches that once the principles of Aikido are embodied, they become a source of strength and guidance in everyday living. He will do workshops that will be open to all participants on the art of compassionate self-defense.  Tom served 3 1/2 years in the US Army as a Specialist 5th Class from November 1966 to June 1970.

poet & editor, says of his teaching: “Like many teachers, I teach what I myself would like to learn. Fear causes us to close and shield our hearts. Poetry can be a powerful counterforce to fear, but there is no formula for making it so. Together we explore the way, poem by poem.” His books of poetry include: Waking Before Dawn, Winter Hours, The Dark Indigo Current: Poems, Horse of Earth, and he edited the book Walking Swiftly: Writings & Images on the Occasion of Robert Bly’s 65th Birthday. Thomas R. Smith is a Master Track instructor at The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota

poet and teacher, taught at-risk youth in Minnesota before starting The Two Boots Poetry Tour, The Holtby House Concert Series, and Feeding The Story — ventures which provide live music, poetry and stories in various communities, libraries, and schools. He has been with the Minnesota Men’s Conference in many capacities since its beginning.  In 2003 The Thousands Press and the Minnesota Men’s Conference published his book, Building in Deeper Water.  In 2010 Red Dragonfly Press published his latest book of poems, Herds of Bears Surround Us.

is the author of Dynamite on a China Plate, a book of poems published by The Backwaters Press. His poems have appeared in a variety of magazines including Ploughshares, The Gettysburg Review, Poetry East and Black Warrior Review. He has been a featured reader at Butler University, the Omega Institute, Robert Bly’s Great Mother Conference and the Woodstock Poetry Festival, and is the recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives and teaches in Ithaca, New York.

Doug joyously returns again this year to lead early morning chanting. Many participants return to this conference just to begin each day in “one voice” under his guidance. He teaches the vowel sounds as well as chants from the Near East and the West. He has published two CD’s and a songbook, and travels widely to bring the magic of voice to communities worldwide. Join for a special tour of Bali each year! Greet the sunrise with him each day in a whirling circle of song!  Doug entered the US Army as a Private E-1 in March of 1954 and left the service as a Private E-2 in January of 1956.