Mt. Chocorua Writing Workshop
July 4-9, 2010 (Sunday evening through Friday lunch)
Our non-competitive and nurturing workshops in poetry and fiction are designed for writers at all levels of experience. After an introductory session on Sunday evening, small groups will meet daily, Monday through Thursday and on Friday morning. Workshops will include opportunities to generate new writing, discuss craft, and share work with other participants. Evening programs include readings, discussions, and informal social events.
Participants are invited to submit work in advance for group discussion and instructor feedback (three poems; up to 15 pages of fiction). Specific guidelines for manuscript submission will be sent after workshop registration.
There is a $125 fee for the writing workshop. Lodging and meal rates are listed here and include three healthy and delicious meals per day and use of the 455-acre facilities, including hiking trails, Whitton Pond, and family programs.
What makes this workshop special?
In keeping with the World Fellowship motto – "where global justice meets nature" – the Mt. Chocorua writing workshop encourages the literary imagination that explores the conflicts of our world and illuminates injustice.
Comments from last summer's participants:
"Far exceeded my expectations! I feel so inspired..."
"A very safe and warm tone... people felt encouraged and respected."
"I so enjoyed the generosity of our members' comments as well as their inventiveness, and the sweet harmony of the group."
"A magical workshop with a great deal of support, wonderful people... and a lovely vibe."
Schedule of Events
- Sunday, July 4, 7:30 PM Introductions and Overview
- Monday, July 5 through Friday July 9 at noon Workshops meet daily
- Monday, July 5, 7:30 PM Poetry reading and conversation with Lesléa Newman, author of 57 books for adults and children, including the recent poetry collection, Nobody's Mother.
- Tuesday, July 6, 7:30 PM Fiction writer Elli Meeropol will read from new work and lead a group discussion about literature and activism.
- Wednesday, July 7, 7:30 PM Reading and discussion with special guest Kris Holloway, author of Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali.
- Thursday, July 8, 7:30 PM Writing workshop students and faculty share their work with each other and the World Fellowship community.
Workshop Faculty
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| Poetry with Lesléa Newman | Fiction with Ellen Meeropol |
| This poetry workshop is for passionate writers who want to create work that matters. In a non-competitive, supportive atmosphere, we will use in-class writing exercises to create new poems that come from the heart. There will also be time to discuss already-written poems that need a bit more attention. No previous writing experience necessary. Come with something to write with, something to write on, and an open heart and mind. | Whether you are writing your first short story or revising a novel, the fiction workshop offers an opportunity to generate and share new work and to get feedback and suggestions on revision in a non-competitive and nurturing environment. Through craft discussions, group feedback on participants' manuscripts, and writing together using prompts and exercises, we will work together to instruct and inspire ourselves. |
| Lesléa Newman (www.lesleanewman.com) is the author of 57 books for adults and children including the novel, The Reluctant Daughter, the short story collection, A Letter to Harvey Milk, the poetry collection, Nobody's Mother, the middle grade novel, Hachiko Waits, and the children's book, Heather Has Two Mommies. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, the James Baldwin Award for Cultural Achievement and three Pushcart Prize nominations. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. | Ellen Meeropol (www.ellenmeeropol.com) holds an MFA in fiction from the Stonecoast program at the University of Southern Maine. Her short stories have appeared in Bridges, Portland Magazine, Pedestal Magazine, and Patchwork Journal. She is a founding Board member of the Rosenberg Fund for Children and wrote the script for their dramatic program, Celebrate the Children of Resistance, which has been produced in four cities, most recently in 2007 starring Eve Ensler, David Strathairn and Angela Davis. Her first novel, House Arrest, is forthcoming from Red Hen Press. |
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| Special guest Kris Holloway is the award-winning author of Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali, the true story of the life and death of a remarkable West African midwife, seen through the eyes of a young Peace Corps Volunteer who worked side-by-side with her, birthing babies and caring for mothers, in a remote, impoverished village. It is a rare tale of friendship that reaches beyond borders to vividly and irrevocably unite another woman's world with our own. (www.moniquemangorains.com) |
TO APPLY:
FIRST: Please complete the workshop application form below and click "send form".
SECOND: Contact World Fellowship to arrange payment and room selection.