I write, speak, invest, network, and question to stimulate fruitful conversation. Let's talk about human flourishing! It begins with freedom. Holy leisure is the key to human being, freedom and generativity. Please join me in the adventure of realizing Christ!
In 18 years of planning retreats, Charlotte is the only speaker I’ve invited for a second year. She brought sparkle, depth, humor and rich, new understanding to conversations on holy leisure and growing in the interior life.
Charlotte Ostermann is an engaging expert on poetry in the context of Catholic education. Her passion and knowledge is contagious and she is able to take complex ideas and present them in an accessible manner. The workshop was very balanced in covering philosophical ideas and practical applications. My teachers who attended came away with a new understanding and excitement about using poetry in the classroom. I would like to have her back to run a workshop for our students! Lisa Corley, St. Charles Borromeo Academy, Kansas City, MO
The “Reluctant Learners” I am speaking of are the teachers! Reading the agenda for Charlotte Ostermann’s Poetry Workshop may send the weak into hiding, but this presenter is anything but intimidating. A master of her craft is one who can put her audience at ease and inspire creativity to soar. This is precisely the directive of this workshop. Charlotte’s project-based activities force teachers to become the students and experience the frustrations and joys in writing their own poetry. For some, this is an uncomfortable turnabout. However, that is the brilliance of the method, because teachers need to be aware of the struggle and rediscover the joy of learning and creating. The creation experience itself teaches without further instructor guidance. What they produce is a sincere self-expression in beautiful, carefully chosen language. This workshop was insightful, fun, and applicable. Educators can take any one of the many exercise ideas back to the classroom the next day and have an engaging, creative, intellectual experience ready to try out on the unsuspecting scholars. Sounds like Heaven on Earth to me!
Mary Seura; Academic Dean St. Regis Classical Academy
Participant Evaluations:
…you made lofty, intellectual concepts concrete, attainable and fun. Well done! Your workshop can transform classrooms.
Fantastic and practical. You unleashed many creative ideas for use in the classroom.
The workbook will be a fantastic resource.
I came with hesitation, but loved the workshop.
This was very good for giving teachers ideas for drawing creative sparks from our students.
I did not originally think this would pertain to me, but so glad I came. It was excellent and will be incorporated.
Great – learned so much!
You got me out of my comfort zone!
Loved your passion and knowledge.
Very thought provoking.
I was not sure what exactly to expect coming into this. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed the learning experience, and opportunity for reflection.
Now I feel more equipped to take poetry seriously and introduce different kinds to my little ones.
The activities were hard for me because I have always avoided the subject. Thanks for pushing us to do them. I learned something myself.
Most helpful: The conversation regarding personhood and its connection to poesis in Catholic education.
I loved the hands-on writing time. This time made real what you were teaching. This was wonderful – great ideas for use in classroom.
We enjoyed having Charlotte join us for our women’s retreat and sharing her insights on the Eucharistic Sabbath. As women, we frequently need to be reminded that God intends for us to rest in Him, and this great message was just what we needed. I’d love to invite her back for a workshop so that we can dig deeper into this topic. We had so much positive feedback on the day. Her love for Our Lord, and her joy in sharing her faith are so evident and contagious. Our Church (and our parish) needs to see that JOY in evangelization and catechesis.
Cathy Wideman; Director of Catechesis & Evangelization; Parish of Saints Joachim & Anne; 2700 17th Avenue East Shakopee, Minnesota 55379; cwideman@ssjacs.org
Our parish was blessed to have Charlotte Ostermann speak to us as part of a Lenten day of recollection. Charlotte spoke to us about honoring Sunday as a day of rest. Her talk was dynamic, heartfelt, packed with great content, and faithfully Catholic. Charlotte’s passion is contagious. Any parish or Catholic gathering would benefit from hearing her speak.
Father Paul Haverstock, Parochial Vicar Parish of Saints Joachim and Anne 2700 17th Avenue East Shakopee, MN 55379; FrHaverstock@ssjacs.org
Father Paul got a good recording of this talk…ask if you’d like to hear it.
The Storytellers of the Great Plains sponsored my one-day poetry workshop, Playing With Words:
Not only did she impart incredible wisdom and knowledge regarding the craft of poetry, but she was an awesome guide for those walking the path of becoming a truly expressive human being.
Read the whole beautiful letter of recommendation here.
I’ve enjoyed being invited back year after year to speak for Kansas Catholic Homeschooling Conference – 2006, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017.
Several of these talks have been recorded – just ask! See most of them in my new book, Upschooling, available on Amazon after August 30, 2019.
“Charlotte Ostermann is a real natural when it comes to speaking! Like it comes so spontaneously for the majority of us to breathe, so it is for her with regards to expressing herself and conveying her thoughts to others! It is more then a pleasure to listen to her: it is like assisting at a concert of classical music. You never want it to end! I along with my sisters of the community of the Apostles of the Interior Life have had ample opportunities to participate in events where Mrs. Ostermann was speaking. What we heard ALWAYS left us with our mouths open! We were in awe and spellbound! If you are looking for a speaker, she is your gal! May she bless your event, your retreat, your lives with her presence!”
– Sister Susan Pieper, Director, Apostles of the Interior Life
“Charlotte Ostermann is such an inspiring speaker. I have had the opportunity to attend many talks given by Charlotte and what I hear over and over from the women she addresses, is ‘Charlotte is so real.’ She uses her incredible sense of humor to bring you to a new understanding of yourself. She says the things you may be thinking but would never admit to thinking. She doesn’t hold back and give a little of herself but opens herself up and lets you in. She brings a depth and wisdom to her speaking and you leave feeling inspired, uplifted and loved.”
–Sandy Scherschligt, Overland Park, KS
“The Women of St. Ignatius at Fort Leavenworth, KS have had the pleasure of having Charlotte as a speaker on two different occasions…. We highly recommend her….In a very unique, loving, and fun-filled way, Charlotte took us on a journey…. Her zest for life and beautiful personality puts everyone at ease quickly. ” Heather L. Nava, Vice President, Women of St. Ignatius
“Listening to Charlotte Ostermann relate her experiences as a writer and then publisher of her book, SOULS at REST, was an inspiration. Her energy, enthusiasm and willingness to share the ups and downs of her endeavors provided an intriguing and informative program for our Topeka Branch of National League of American Pen Women. Proving that perseverance pays off, Charlotte provided each of us with new insights on making our own projects a reality. We were so impressed that we promptly invited our speaker to join our organization!”
– Barbara Waterman-Peters, President Topeka Branch, National League of American Pen Women
“I’m delighted to recommend Charlotte Ostermann as a speaker for your next event. Twice, Charlotte has spoken at day-long events I’ve hosted for a women’s retreat I plan annually for a diverse group of Christians from a variety of denominations and backgrounds. In 18 years of planning retreats, Charlotte is the only speaker I’ve invited for a second year. She brought sparkle, depth, humor and rich, new understanding to conversations on holy leisure and growing in the interior life. She walked our group through a difficult C. S. Lewis book and helped those who had never opened the book, as well as those who had studied it carefully, come away with practical and soul satisfying new perspectives. Charlotte is a woman of intensity and intellect and her talks definitely challenge her audiences. She is well worth the challenge, however, because Charlotte brims over with wisdom and faith that rings true, relevant and accessible.”
–Katherine Dinsdale, Lawrence, KS
“I recommend Charlotte Ostermann to be a speaker for your group. She has given clearly focused, finely tuned, richly illustrated talks to my class at the University of Kansas and at two conferences on campus of which I was chairman. The class was “Reason and Imagination in the Writings of C. S. Lewis”. These C. S. Lewis Society Regional Conferences, on campus, provided opportunity for her to give presentations on additional Lewis-related topics in groups of students and townspeople. Since then, Charlotte has spoken twice to a C. S. Lewis discussion group of faculty and their spouses here in Lawrence. Her breadth of preparation and understanding, coupled with her unusually fine speaking skills, have made her a popular speaker for age groups from ages 18 to 80, from a variety of backgrounds. Because of her ability and willingness to share her own insights and research, she has and will again be a speaker for two different groups in Lawrence, both secular and sacred, of which I am program chairman. I recommend Charlotte Ostermann with enthusiasm and without reservation to be a speaker for any group that shares her interests. ”
– Nancy Yacher, Department of English (Ret.), University of Kansas
[About Souls at Rest:] “I know of no better treatment of the subject…Charlotte has given a gift to us in revealing the wisdom of God’s call to rest.”
– Dan Burke, Author: Navigating the Interior Life
“I love ‘Souls at Rest’! It is a beautiful book, and I wish every Catholic would read it! It has changed the way I think of Sabbath rest, and the way I approach human being, especially on Sundays. Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Exhortation on Sunday years ago, and this book is packed with thoughtful ways to respond to his call to keep the Lord’s Day holy. This book helped me make changes that help me feel the difference Sunday can make in my whole life. In a time when we are becoming a society of technologists – more like machines – we need the advice in this book to help us live and enjoy the humanity with which we are blessed since the gift of the Incarnation.”
–Reverend Monsignor Vincent Krische
“It could be argued that the predominant fault of modern culture is busyness. More than greed, lust or pride, a need to always stay active pervades our culture. Busyness is a major contributing factor to our tiredness, division and unsociability. When we cannot find peace, when our recreation fails to re-create us, then we find even more stress and unease. The damage done to our culture and more important, human persons is hard to overestimate. More than a description of and a solution to a problem, Charlotte Ostermann’s Souls at Rest offers a prescription and a remedy to busyness and its empty promises. It is an inspiring invitation to come and see what God has planned for you. Rooted in Sacred Scripture and following the Jewish and Christian traditions, Charlotte Ostermann has created a work that is prayerful and thoughtful. This book is an epiphany that uncovers a deep truth many have forgotten or never learned in the first place; that God wants us to give him one day of Sabbath rest a week which will in turn become a great gift for us.”
–Fr. Steven Beseau
“I cannot recommend Souls at Rest highly enough, and I would recommend it as the perfect gift for those who may be looking for ways to deepen their faith and strengthen the family bonds. Then when the natural bustle of the holidays settles down, its boundless wisdom can be absorbed and applied in all sorts of settings.”
–Genevieve Kineke, Author: The Authentic Catholic Woman
“Charlotte Ostermann’s Souls at Work is an engaging and beautifully written book that is particularly important for parents and home educators. I have been teaching my children at home for the better part of two decades, yet the ideas proposed about freedom and the life of the soul are new to me and have left me feeling refreshed and inspired. The book is written so that each chapter stands on its own; it could become a personal retreat over the course of a month or even a year — something to read and re-read for edification and encouragement.”
– Alice Gunther, author of Haystack Full of Needles, A Catholic Home Educator’s Guide to Socialization
“Self-improvement is a popular pastime, and self-help books are a dime a dozen, but Charlotte Ostermann reinvents the genre, giving us a book to live with, to dream with, to work with. If you are a teacher, or a homeschooler, or if you simply want to be ‘fully human, truly free,’ you will find what your soul needs in Charlotte’s gentle wisdom.”
– Stratford Caldecott, author of Beauty for Truth’s Sake and Beauty in the Word [on Souls at Work]
“This is ‘just’ triangles and circles like Legos are ‘just’ building blocks, and computer code is ‘just’ ones-and-zeroes.”
“I finally understand myself as an artist within the context of my faith.”
“Thanks for helping ‘weave’ me and my husband back together.”
“Nobody talks about freedom the way you do!”
“…glorious, life-giving ideas that forever change – in the best way – how we see the world…”
“…the shift in my new understanding and language helped make possible a new outcome…”
“…a hermeneutic for life!”
This is my most-requested audio – about how we can educate our children well, despite our own inadequacies. The Problem – We must get kids from where they are, to where they need to be; from ‘uneducated’ to ‘educated’. Given the poverty of our own education, we feel asked to do the impossible: build a […]
Some audiences want to cut right to the chase: “Give us practical applications of all your ideas about Sabbath-keeping.” OK – here you go: In this talk I do just that – give concrete, practical ways to dip into the kind of leisure that brings interior equanimity and leaves you more whole, more human, more […]
I prepared this talk for the Heart of a Woman group, in Kansas City, shortly after the suicide of a Catholic mother of ten. It was a shock to me, but not entirely unexpected, as I had known her during the years she struggled with depression and disintegration, despite her devotion to the Church, Christ, […]
For an Apostles of the Interior Life Women’s Retreat, where the theme was “The King Desires Your Beauty,” I prepared this truly interesting talk. Will you believe me when I say that this is another of my favorites?!?! I know, I’ve said that about a lot of these talks, but revisiting them to give a […]
I once asked a friend who calls herself a Jewish-Catholic if it had been hard for her to accept Mary’s role in Salvation History. She laughed and said, “Heck no! Every Sabbath was begun by a Jewish mama’s prayers! I’d have been suspicious if Lord Sabbaoth hadn’t come through a woman.” Jewish women welcomed Sabbath […]
Differences between the original myth of Cupid and Psyche, and C.S. Lewis’ retelling of the myth in Till We Have Faces have the effect of revealing new dimensionality in the Christian understanding of both myth and of the human person. The pre-Christian myth, like the pre-Christian person, is veiled in a darkness that constitutes a […]
In “Stour Valley and Dedham Church” Constable has painted the Vale of Dedham – a familiar and beloved area of his native England.
“The Merry Drinker,” by Frans Hals This is a portrait of an unnamed man, called in the title only ‘a merry drinker’.
Giotto’s painting, The Wedding Feast at Cana, portrays the literal and spiritual senses of this story.
Berlinghieri’s St. Francis appears behind the altar of San Francesco in Pescia, Italy. It is an excellent example of art ordered to divine worship.
A mom is the caretaker of a huge, wonderful, potentially beautiful, critically important place! She, herself, this actual, unique person, is the single most important ‘environment’ in the lives of her children. Like Mary, like the Church, she is an atmosphere. She is an atmosphere of affection. This is not just warm, fuzzy feelings, but […]
Benedictine College hosted a Symposium for Advancing the New Evangelization in 2014. The theme was Transcendentals as Preambles to Faith, and I got to propose my take on that as a paper. Anyone who knows me could probably have bet good money I’d do something ‘three dimensional’ with that, and they’d have won those bets. […]
I once got a chance to do an all-day retreat with one of the sister Apostles of the Interior Life. Naturally, I wanted to discuss the role of leisure in the formation of persons! As usual, I prayed about the upcoming event, and God brought together several threads of my contemplation to weave this talk. […]
Did you know YOU are a poem? Check out Ephesians 2:10, where the Greek ‘poema’ is usually translated ‘workmanship’. I like ‘poema’ better, as it implies beauty and artistry, but ‘workmanship’ is nice. I’ve discussed the importance of poetry, poetic education, poetic imagination and poetic reading in many different venues (many of the talk topics […]
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