And, then, in midlife, I stumbled upon Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” written 800 years ago as an early precursor to MEA’s curriculum:
“In the middle of our life’s journey, I found myself in a dark wood.”
So begins this 14,000-line epic poem about how to navigate transitions in the most difficult of times.
MEA is so fortunate to be located in Santa Fe, not far from what NY Times columnist Frank Bruni called “the most contrarian college in America,” St. John’s College. Known as “the Great Books college,” St. John’s may be one of the most rigorous intellectual journeys any undergrad can take this side of Oxford and Cambridge and their faculty (known as tutors) are masters at facilitating deep, rich conversations. This education makes a “Johnny” prepared to be more thoughtful, reflective and an inquiring citizen, lover, and parent.
We’re honored that MEA and St. John’s (the College is located next door to our future campus in town in Santa Fe) are offering a Summer workshop, Crossroads & Classics: Navigating Transitions with Art & Literature, as part of St. John’s heralded Summer Classics program for adults. This will be offered at our wide-open ranch campus July 14-19 with a combination of an MEA and St. John’s team facilitating. Immerse yourself in the classics while gaining proven tools for navigating midlife challenges (and opportunities) with the focus on:
- Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning – Explores how to find purpose even in life’s most challenging circumstances (this is my favorite book of all-time)
- Plato’s Republic – The timeless Allegory of the Cave, revealing how we break free from limited perspectives
- Robert Frost and W.B. Yeats – Selected poems that illuminate the crossroads of life and the courage to choose new paths
- Georgia O’Keeffe – Paintings and letters that capture transformation and the beauty of desert landscapes
You’ll even get the chance to go on field trips to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and St. John’s historic campus for a wine tasting and inspired conversation. It will be five extraordinary days of transformative insight and inspiration that will feed your heart and soul for months to come.
To support your journey, all registrants will receive two essential resources: a beautifully designed workbook with supplemental readings and reflection prompts, and a personal copy of Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, a cornerstone of the retreat. These works will serve as both mirrors and windows—reflecting your own path while opening views to new possibilities. So, you can see this isn’t similar to a typical workshop as you get the best of both worlds between MEA and St. John’s.
I’m not sure if we’ll offer this again, so if this sounds intriguing I would suggest enrolling now. Here’s a recorded online session in which the St. John’s tutors and our MEA team talked about the program with many MEA community members. This is a week that will feed your mind and soul while feasting on MEA’s amazing cuisine from Chef Krista.
-Chip