BAFS 8th Annual Summer Poetry Camp

July 6th-17th 2022 CE

BAFS 10yr Anniversary: Graduation/DIY

After ten years of evolution the Beyond Academia Free Skool offers you its first ‘Graduation’, in the sense that some of us now understand what we’re doing – and we’d like to give you an overview. While BAFS ostensibly is an exercise in the study and practice of poetics, there are a multitude of other lessons to be learned when we gather in community. In the anarchist-based wild civility of BAFS Summer Poetry Camp, we create on-the-spot our ‘rules of engagement’ – how we will honor each other as spiritual/philosophical/sexual beings, and what we Will to do with our time together. As a start, that means holding space, grace, and admiration for the diverse members of the Socratic Circle that happens every day during Camp. In the end, it means discovering the value of colleagues who occupy intentional ‘stances’ (as Olson would describe) vastly different than your own, for you can count on them to be who they Are in their Art.

Twelve of our BAFS instructors will bring you over twenty classes and events for Graduation. These will include a number of performance oriented events including BAFS-featured readings at various locations, and improv punk band Black Market Translation at LSR and also hosting Punketry in Boulder. The recent short poetry film “The Winter Triangle” will be aired live. We will hold our annual Drunken Haiku Competition (a study in mindfulness), and a Graduation Ceremony. Please see the schedule below for details and be sure to read the important FAQ! Becoming a Supporting Member of the Skool (see below) will help us pay the instructors and hosts. We’ll see you there!

Facebook Event

2022 Camp Instructors

Rafe Van Abbey, Reed Bye, Matt Clifford, Eric Fischman, Lee Frankel-Goldwater,

Roseanna Frechette, Marcus If, Thomas Ivory Jr., Ira Liss, Jonathan Montgomery,

Maggie Saunders, Seth Walker

Instructor Profiles

Become a Supporting Member of the Skool!

A core principle of the Free Skool is that all of our events are Free to attend. Our instructors pay their travel costs out of pocket and we estimate will spend 700 volunteer hours on the Skool this year alone. We will not pass around donation jars at events, so a great way to show your support for the Skool is to join us as a Member. Here’s how:

Become a Member

Our Community, Our Patrons

We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community. From grants and donations to fiscal and residence sponsors, all of our community supporters large and small are listed below. Without their help, we could not offer the level of 100% Free quality peer-to-peer education and public literary events that our BAFS standards demand. Honor the Patrons!

Our Patrons

2022 Schedule:

2022 Camp Schedule

Wednesday, 6 July

All Day: Camp Setup

7pm: Big Pasta Dinner – hosted by LSR Crew

Thursday, 7 July

2pm: Bubble Hash Workshop – w/ Peter Adler Asch

7pm: Burn Yr Poem Ceremony – w/ Thomas Ivory Jr.

Friday, 8 July

2pm: Why Free Skool – w/ Matt Clifford

8pm: “The Winter Triangle” film – w/ Rafe Van Abbey

Saturday, 9 July

10am-6pm: Grandiose History of Poetry – w/ Prof. Jonathan Montgomery

7pm: Annual Black Market Translation Show – w/ BMT

Sunday, 10 July

10am: Recovery Breakfast – hosted by LSR Crew

2pm: Second Sunday Monthly Workshop at Boulder Library – w/ Maggie Saunders

Monday, 11 July

10am: ? – w/ ?

2pm: Playful Performance – w/ Ira Liss

8:30pm: BAFS Feature Reading at Wesley Chapel in Boulder – w/ Thomas R. Peters

Tuesday, 12 July

10am: Multidimensional Poetics – w/ Marcus If

2pm: First Thought, Best Thought – w/ Reed Bye

7pm: Performance Feedback Reading – at LSR

Wednesday, 13 July

10am: The Projective Sonnet: Olson & Form – w/ Marcus If

2pm: Workshops for Marginal Communities – w/ Seth Walker

7pm: Big Pasta Dinner – hosted by LSR Crew

11:59pm: Full Moon Alley Reading in Boulder – no host/no list/full open

Thursday, 14 July

10am: Moon Recovery – no class

2pm: Multiverse Seance – w/ Eric Fischman

7pm: BAFS Feature Reading – at LSR

Friday, 15 July

10am: Poetry in Motion – w/ Lee Frankel-Goldwater

2pm: Crazy Wisdom & Poetry – w/ Marcus If

7pm: Drunken Haiku Competition – w/ Marcus If

Saturday, 16 July

10am: The Muse Within – w/ Maggie Saunders

2pm: Performance Poetry: A Moving Meditation – w/ Roseanna Freschette

8pm: Punketry & BAFS at Trident Cafe in Boulder – hosted by BMT

Sunday, 17 July

10am: Recovery Breakfast – hosted by LSR Crew

2pm: BAFS Graduation Ceremony – w/ BAFS Board of Directors

7pm: Jug Shovel Jam – hosted by the Jug Shovel Band (& you!)

Camp FAQ

Workshops will be held at Love Shovel Ranch and the Boulder Public Library. Please remember these spaces are Temporary Autonomous Zones, Autonomous as in be Responsible for yrself and others. Clean up yr trash (including All cigarette butts and bottle caps), recycle yr empties, wash yr dishes. No grease or hair in the drains, NOTHING in the toilet that didn’t come out of yr body except TP. Love Shovel Ranch rests in the heart of the wilderness; Leave No Trace. Weather permitting, workshops are held outside in the grove, so keep in mind the following :

Locations:
Boulder Public Library Arapahoe Room 1001 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder
Love Shovel Ranch 722 Caribou Road, Nederland (behind Lilac hedge)

Weather Alert!

Weather is looking like overcast 50% of the time, temps 65-70 degrees, probable drizzle-rain. However, keep in mind the weather Will change During the workshops, anywhere from 40-95 degrees are possible and even probable. Layered clothing is crucial to your comfort. Love Shovel Ranch is in the High Wilderness, be prepared.

Pandemic Protocols

There will be both vaccinated and unvaccinated people at Camp. There will be room to practice social distancing. We will ask that you wear a red bracelet to indicate you’d like to maintain social distance. We encourage you to exist in your own comfort zone given your risk profile.

What to bring:

Enthusiasm!
Pen(S!) & Paper
Bug Spray & Sunscreen
Water Bottle. We have fresh spring water to refill.
Personal Fuel (Snack food, Real food, whiskey, coffee, tobacco, etc.)
Toiletries as necessary given yr duration
Layered Clothing. Bikini one minute & rain parka the next. Nights are chilly.
Picnic/Pass-out Blanket
Additional ‘camping gear’ as necessary given yr duration. Folding Chair?
Toys, Costumes, & Curiosities
Snacks
Poetry Schwag

What not to bring:

Narcotics are not allowed at the Ranch. No pills, powders, daily dabbers thanks.
The Ranch is mostly young-child friendly, but not during workshops or parties.
Due to wildlife and distraction, no untrained dogs are allowed. No second chances.
Bigots of any kind are immediately ejected. No second chances.
Violence, including verbal, against any living being is not tolerated.
Styrofoam / non recyclable packaging = No Thanks.

The Ranch is 420 & booze friendly. Overuse at workshops is a distraction for everyone.
Please be polite and discrete when smoking around the Boulder Public Library.