Writers Conference in Rosemary Beach
My second fall writers conference at "escape to create" was as good as the one I attended last year. It was like a really groovy vacation. The artists were wonderful and I'll get to that but the vibe is set by the organizers so I'll start with them. I am happy to have had personal encounters with two of the organizers and the lucky chance to observe a 3rd in action. First Malayne. Gracious, calm and the very best example of genuine southern hospitality that I have ever run into. She manages a gathering of impractical souls, capturing them with her magical Louisiana charm and then keeps them organized for 3.5 days without them even knowing it. (I have written about her before. She won me over years ago by cracking craw fish for me at a craw fish boil.) Then there is Marsha. She, one of the original organizers of this event, is brilliant for that fact alone but she is also artistic, articulate, and delicately beautiful, all things I covet. I didn't get a chance to speak with her but I loved her introductions of the writers and I benefited from her quiet fussing everyday. And finally Jane. I sat down at her table the first day, not knowing she was part of the event and a distinguished member of the board. I found in her a bright companion who amused me right away and inspired me daily. How lucky I am.
The writers were inspiring and wonderful delivering hard earned knowledge easily and with a clear, unselfish interest in helping the audience through practical issues like agents and publishing as well as the art and craft of writing. It was a treat to be surrounded by such talent, the published, the read, the awarded. There was a pleasant mix of audience participation with writing exercises thrown into the agenda too. Just the right amount of time to allow words to pour out quickly and with meaning like they finally found an unlocked door after a long unorganized search. I enjoyed listening to each audience participant who shared what they managed to write after just a few minutes time from a prompt, a picture, or a theme. It was kind of remarkable.
I'll describe the writers in the order of their appearance. Frank Giampietro started the first day with poetry. Poetry and laughter and fun. His descriptions about where poems come from was delightful; his poetry interesting, fun and full of surprise. He was also a wealth of knowledge about what is in and what is not. Melanie played her guitar for us and sang her stories. She is a natural caretaker, her work with words of critical importance heard by only a lucky few. Frank Giampietro and David Magee finished the day, each with a reading of their work. Just like last year, I left the conference each day a little heady, anxious to return. John Dufresne writes wonderful books for people but his ability to inspire others to write is his gift to them. His opening writing exercises were custom made for me, I'm sure of it. He takes the scary out of writing by revealing secrets that aren't secrets at all. Secrets that make the idea of writing a novel within the realm of possible. I love him for that. I'm also a little annoyed with him for showing me there is no excuse not to write. Brad Wilson came to the podium with a soft spoken voice and seemed a little bit hesitant with this eager crowd but as he got to know us he came to life. With Daphne Kalotay, he talked with enthusiasm about practical issues of writing for journals and magazines. That evening he read to us and we saw him at his best, telling a story. Daphne Kalotay also described practical issues, the nuts and bolts of research. Her book Russian Winter is her example of the care and importance of research. After hearing a passage from it, read by the author herself, I look forward to more. David Magee gave us the good news and the bad as he talked about what he sees as the "truth of publishing". I enjoyed it thoroughly.
The writers conference is a treat, an inspiration and a great way to spend a few days with other people who, whether they want to or not, find themselves grappling with words on a regular basis. Make time for it next year.
The writers were inspiring and wonderful delivering hard earned knowledge easily and with a clear, unselfish interest in helping the audience through practical issues like agents and publishing as well as the art and craft of writing. It was a treat to be surrounded by such talent, the published, the read, the awarded. There was a pleasant mix of audience participation with writing exercises thrown into the agenda too. Just the right amount of time to allow words to pour out quickly and with meaning like they finally found an unlocked door after a long unorganized search. I enjoyed listening to each audience participant who shared what they managed to write after just a few minutes time from a prompt, a picture, or a theme. It was kind of remarkable.
I'll describe the writers in the order of their appearance. Frank Giampietro started the first day with poetry. Poetry and laughter and fun. His descriptions about where poems come from was delightful; his poetry interesting, fun and full of surprise. He was also a wealth of knowledge about what is in and what is not. Melanie played her guitar for us and sang her stories. She is a natural caretaker, her work with words of critical importance heard by only a lucky few. Frank Giampietro and David Magee finished the day, each with a reading of their work. Just like last year, I left the conference each day a little heady, anxious to return. John Dufresne writes wonderful books for people but his ability to inspire others to write is his gift to them. His opening writing exercises were custom made for me, I'm sure of it. He takes the scary out of writing by revealing secrets that aren't secrets at all. Secrets that make the idea of writing a novel within the realm of possible. I love him for that. I'm also a little annoyed with him for showing me there is no excuse not to write. Brad Wilson came to the podium with a soft spoken voice and seemed a little bit hesitant with this eager crowd but as he got to know us he came to life. With Daphne Kalotay, he talked with enthusiasm about practical issues of writing for journals and magazines. That evening he read to us and we saw him at his best, telling a story. Daphne Kalotay also described practical issues, the nuts and bolts of research. Her book Russian Winter is her example of the care and importance of research. After hearing a passage from it, read by the author herself, I look forward to more. David Magee gave us the good news and the bad as he talked about what he sees as the "truth of publishing". I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Rosemary Beach was an ideal place to hold the event. Their town hall is a wonderful spot to gather a group of that size. The white room with it's tall ceiling and natural light was bright and open. I liked hearing the clock bell outside and I liked that you were within walking distance to good places to eat for lunch and a decent martini and delicious appetizer to end the day.
The writers conference is a treat, an inspiration and a great way to spend a few days with other people who, whether they want to or not, find themselves grappling with words on a regular basis. Make time for it next year.
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