What Matters
a season of close reading and community
“What Matters has enriched my life in so many ways, personally and professionally: it's helped me to frame my thinking about myself, the world, and how I interact with the world and the people in it.”
- Serena, WHAT MATTERS STUDENT, Spring 2023
Starting this August, join us for the next iteration of What Matters: a seven-month course of close reading and community, examining the three following texts through the themes of family, friendship and ambition:
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
We are pleased to announce the launch of a brand new version of What Matters, our transformational reading course that past students have called “magical” and “an amazing experience.” Over twenty-eight weekly meetings, we will dive deep into these three modern classics using sacred reading, innovative personal reflective work, and storytelling. Whatever your degree of familiarity with the texts, whether you’re revisiting a favorite for new perspective or it’s been on your “to-be-read” list for a while, you can still take and enjoy this class.
In many ways, What Matters is Not Sorry’s version of Divinity School -- a hub for community, spiritual learning and self-reflection. With a cohort of 24 students, you’ll meet weekly to read in community, learn from spiritual leaders, and build clarity and intention around what matters to you and how to live your values in the world. The program’s three-unit curriculum is designed to give you the support and resources to chart your own path to what matters.
We’re so excited about offering a program that brings together incredible faculty, books we love, and space for genuine discovery. We hope that if you join us, you’ll leave the program braver, kinder and more connected to a new community.
Course Description:
Reading and Discussion Seminar with Vanessa Zoltan: We will work our way through each novel with atheist Chaplain, and Not Sorry Production’s founder, Vanessa Zoltan, MDiv, doing sacred reading practices and discussing the themes of the novel. You will also have the opportunity to do a small group lectio divina with Vanessa in the first 2 weeks of the course, to dive into the text more closely.
Storytelling and Meaning-Making with Micaela Blei: After close reading each text with Vanessa, you will meet with award-winning storyteller and educator Micaela Blei, PhD, to make meaning through storytelling. You’ll brainstorm and craft stories from your life, integrating the themes that arise through our reading into new interpretations of personal experience. At the conclusion of What Matters, we will share our stories in a final celebration.
Chaplaincy with Mauricio Bruce: Throughout the course, you’ll meet as a whole group and in one-on-one sessions with therapist and coach Mauricio Bruce. Mauricio will lead whole group classes of self-exploration. In one on one chaplaincy sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to explore connections between this book and your own life and experience.
Open House with FaCulty
In early June 2023, our three lead faculty held an open house where they gave a general explanation of how the course will be structured, what they learned from the first cohort, and what makes this process so rewarding for participants. They then took questions from guests and social media. For anyone looking for a clear idea of what this class will offer, this video is an excellent introduction.
Faculty bios:
Vanessa Zoltan - Instructor
Vanessa Zoltan is CEO of Not Sorry Productions. She is the co-host of three podcasts: Harry Potter & the Sacred Text, The Real Question and Hot & Bothered. She is also the founder of their pilgrimage project: Common Ground. Vanessa is trained as an atheist chaplain and has her MDiv from Harvard Divinity School. She also got her Masters in Nonprofit Management from the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a BA in English from Washington University in St. Louis. She worked in the education sector for 10 years. She is the author of Praying with Jane Eyre; Reflections on Reading as a Sacred Practice (Penguin, 2021) and has been published in The Paris Review, Salon and other publications. Her work has been covered on CNN and in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, The Boston Globe and many other sources.
Micaela Blei - Instructor
Micaela Blei, PhD, is a storyteller, story editor and educator who lives in Portland, Maine. As a two-time Moth GrandSLAM champion storyteller and the former (founding) Director of Education at The Moth, she has 12 years of experience working with individuals, organizations and communities to shape and share the important stories of their lives. Her acclaimed workshops are invitations to reflection, spaces for discovery, and most of all— fun. Her own stories have appeared on Family Ghosts, The Moth Radio Hour, Risk!, Story Collider, WGBH’s Stories from the Stage and live on sold-out storytelling stages nationwide. She has a BA in Literature from Yale University and a PhD in Education from New York University. You can see her stories and learn more about Micaela at micaelablei.com.
Mauricio Bruce - Chaplain
Born and raised in San José, Costa Rica, Mauricio is a transpersonal therapist and coach who believes in personal development and health through spiritual development. After a portentous dream and a long search Mauricio traveled to the Andes where he studied medicine and spirituality with the Q’ero people of Perú. He has directed Umbral de la Montaña, a self-development and spirituality school in San José, Costa Rica, for the last twelve years, and he is an international teacher at Asersentido International, a life coaching school based in Santiago, Chile. He teaches with them in Chile, Perú, and the United States. He graduated with a BA in English and Film Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and he is currently working on his Masters in Divinity at Harvard Divinity School.
Support Staff (you can find our bios on the Not sorry team page):
Norah Murphy - Program Coordinator
Lara Glass - Operations Director
The Details:
28 classes held weekly from August 23, 2023 - March 13, 2024
Class sessions are Wednesday evenings, 8-10pm EST with a 10 minute break
Bonus Saturday storytelling session with Micaela if you are new to the program
3 chaplaincy sessions with Mauricio Bruce
Small group lectio divina with Vanessa Zoltan
We’ll send you all material you need, including the novel and a journal
Tuition: Sliding scale, $4000-$4400 - payment plans may be accommodated, reach out to lara@notsorryproductions.com to inquire!
Please direct any questions to: lara@notsorryproductions.com
FAQ
Is this for me?
We’re imagining this program for:
People who wish they had a guide in their spiritual journey
People who are looking for a sense of caring community
People who want to grow in their activism
People who are going through transitions
Nerds who miss school
Everyone - you’re welcome no matter your background or beliefs
Can I take this class more than once?
Yes! Each session of What Matters will be structured around specific themes and a novel so if you have taken What Matters before, have no fear; the material will always be different.
Will I have missed anything if I haven’t taken What Matters before?
No! There is one “bonus” Saturday storytelling session for those of you who are new to What Matters, with that you have everything you need!
What if I’m an auditory learner?
We’re happy to send you audiobooks instead of paperbacks!
What if I can only make half the sessions?
Then unfortunately, this program isn’t for you. We recommend only coming if you think you can make 90% or more of our sessions.
Is there homework?
Yes, but all assignments are optional. That said, we believe the more you put into this program, the more you get out of it.
Can you tell me about the cost?
We pay all of our faculty and staff competitive rates. We also pay all of our guests. This course has curriculum design, administrative support, and a lot of class time. We also have a sliding scale. The cost of the program is $4200, however, we are making the course available for $4000. If you would like to cover the cost so more people can have cheaper access to the course and can afford to do so, we ask that you pay $4400.
I already paid, but now I can’t attend. Can I get a refund?
Unfortunately no. because it’s such a small cohort and a carefully crafted experience, we won’t be able to find new students part way through the program.