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The Center for Northern Studies
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Wildbranch Writing Workshop
      - Faculty
      - About Wildbranch
      - Tuition & Fees
      - Information for Applicants
      - How to Apply
      - Workshop Schedule
      - Course Descriptions
      - Lectures, Readings, Discussions
      - Outside Activities
      - Getting Here
      - Correspondence
      - Testimonials
      - Former Faculty

Global Field Studies
Folk Art Workshop Series
Rural Heritage Institute

Announcing the Twenty-second Annual

Wildbranch Writing Workshop

Nature Writing and Beyond
June 7–13, 2009
Co-sponsored by Sterling College and Orion magazine

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 27, 2009!

THIS YEAR’S WORKSHOP FACULTY:
To see bios of faculty, roll over their photos.

Alison Hawthorne Deming	Erik Reece	Ginger Strand
H. Emerson Blake - Orion editor-in-residence	Jennifer Sahn - Orion editor-in-residence

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ABOUT WILDBRANCH:

Offered at a college committed to natural resources education, Wildbranch is a week-long workshop of classes, lectures, readings, and discussions on the craft and techniques of fine writing about the natural world. The Wildbranch Workshop is for writers who want to improve and market their outdoor, natural history, and environmental writing, as well as environmental educators and activists who want to bring better writing skills to bear on their work.

The morning workshop and optional afternoon and evening sessions can benefit both professional writers as well as those with a personal interest in producing essays, journalism, or fiction that relates to the themes of nature and environment. Participants will select one of the faculty members with whom they will work each morning on writing, reading, and shared critiques. Class size is limited to twelve. The rest of the day offers a range of readings and discussions, with ample time to write and socialize. The teaching faculty is composed of professional writers and editors distinguished in their fields, noted for their teaching abilities, and dedicated to helping participants improve their skills.

Two editors-in-residence from Orion magazine offer participants the option of a one-on-one critique of a piece of their writing. A limited number of manuscripts will be accepted for review on a first-come first-served basis and a 4,000-word limit applies. Those wishing to take advantage of this opportunity are asked to submit their work to the workshop director by May 1.

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2009 FEES:

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INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS:

Enrollment in the workshop is limited to 32. Applications must arrive at Sterling College by March 27, 2009. Applicants will be notified by April 10, 2009. A nonrefundable deposit of $50 is expected within two weeks of acceptance. Full payment must be made by June 1.

Applicants must indicate their first, second, and third faculty choices when submitting their application materials. A good-faith effort is made to match participants with either their first or second choice. Assignments will be made upon acceptance.

Participants may stay in Sterling College dormitories (which, like most dormitories, are shy on amenities) or make arrangements for other accommodations in the area. A limited number of $200 scholarships are available to help defray tuition expenses. Those interested in a scholarship should include a letter of need when submitting an application.

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HOW TO APPLY:

Download the Wildbranch Writing Workshop application, fill it out, and ensure that it arrives at Sterling College by March 27, 2009. Selected applicants will be notified by April 10, 2009.

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2009 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE (Tentative):

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS:

WRITING AT THE CROSSROADS OF ART AND SCIENCE
Alison Hawthorne Deming
Art and science are two deeply rooted ways of knowing. C.P. Snow’s old saw that these disciplines represent opposing poles of human endeavor is giving way to new modes of seeing and responding to the imperiled planet. Participants in this workshop will share stories about enterprises that meet at the crossroads of these two forms of human wisdom. We will start with the Chinese tradition of “rivers-and-mountains” poetry and make our way into the postmodern forest of interdisciplinary thinking and making. Participants will explore techniques for sharpening their perceptions of the natural world, refreshing their language with rich description and metaphor, and for finding stories that renew hope and gratitude in a dark time. Writers of either prose or poetry are welcome in this workshop. Prose writers will learn poetic techniques for enlivening narrative voice and subject matter; poets will learn to incorporate the language of science in lyrical forms. Participants are asked to bring from their home place an object from nature, the form of which they find interesting.

WRITING AND RESPONSIBILITY
Erik Reece
In a culture that is increasingly given over to artificial landscapes and vicarious experience, the nonfiction writer must take on a greater responsibility—namely, to preserve authentic experience through authentic language. In particular, the task of the nonfiction nature writer is to help readers pay attention to elements of the world they are often too distracted to see. From that simple act, many larger realizations can occur. Readers trust nonfiction writers to tell them the truth, even if it is difficult or dangerous or unfashionable. But of course, writers don’t simply tell the truth—we shape it. This workshop will focus on the various techniques writers use to dramatize the real. We will consider the role of the first-person narrator, and the many ways he or she can inhabit a story. We will also work on techniques for character development, using dialogue, setting scene, and pacing a story. Finally, we will consider ways in which the writer of creative nonfiction can connect a particular story to larger questions about politics, sustainability, and change.

FINDING THE STORY IN A WORLD OF DETAIL
Ginger Strand
The world is chaotic, boundless, and overflowing with detail; good prose is elegant, structured, and selects its details with precision. The best environmental writing—whether short form, newspaper story, essay, or memoir—reconnects a reader, emotionally and intellectually, with the world outside. Ironically, it can only do so by shaping that world into art. How do you find the narrative in the non-narrated jumble that is reality? How do you convert a collection of facts and quotes into a story that captures a reader’s emotions? We will approach this first and most critical job of the writer in a variety of ways: philosophically, by discussing what constitutes compelling narrative writing; critically, by looking at examples of excellent prose and how they are shaped; and practically, through exercises in which we convert notes and journal entries into structured prose. We will talk about differing ways to find the story and different approaches to telling it. And we will work on our skills at answering the questions What is the story here? Why am I telling it? And why should a reader care?

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LECTURES, READINGS, AND DISCUSSIONS:

MAGAZINE AND BOOK EDITING
- H. Emerson Blake and Jennifer Sahn
What do editors want? How do they make selections for their respective publications and publishing houses? What do they expect from writers? What can the writer do to increase the chances of being published? From initial contact to final changes, this lecture will address how writers and editors work together, the different responsibilities they face, and the ways in which the most fruitful relationship between them can be developed. Topics will also include the many different kinds of writing that are needed to describe our relationship with nature--literary, scientific, journalistic, educational, experiential, descriptive--and how writers can learn to match their style and interests with appropriate publications and publishers.

INTERNET PUBLISHING ROUNDTABLE
This roundtable session will explore the vast terrain of online publishing. Workshop participants and faculty are welcome to join in a discussion of various online media outlets, who publishes what, and how to begin writing for the Internet—whether it be a blog, assignment, or writing for an online magazine on spec.

WRITING AS A BUSINESS PANEL DISCUSSION
- Alison Hawthorne Deming, Erik Reece, and Ginger Strand
How does one earn a living as a writer? In this panel discussion, our workshop faculty will try to answer that question. Topics covered may include generating ideas, query letters, contracts, fees, manuscript preparation, revisions, time management, record keeping, taxes, health insurance, pensions, travel, home offices, agents, working with editors and publishers, and the differences among book, magazine, and newspaper publishing.

AN EVENING OF READINGS
- Alison Hawthorne Deming, Erik Reece, and Ginger Strand
Each of the three workshop faculty will read from their work at this event, which will be open to the public.

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OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES:

There is fine fishing on nearby lakes and streams, including the Wild Branch, from which the workshop derives its name. Canoeing, hiking, bicycling, birding, and swimming in the beautiful Vermont countryside are other popular activities. Each morning, an informal bird walk is organized for Wildbranch participants.

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GETTING HERE:

By car it is a 1.5 hour drive from Burlington, 3 hours from Montreal, and 4.5 hours from Boston. North-South interstate highways I-89 and I-91 both lie within 50 miles of campus. Commercial airline service is available to Burlington (VT), Manchester (NH), and Montreal. Pick-up service from the Burlington airport will be available for a modest fee.

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CORRESPONDENCE:

For answers to questions about fees, travel, admissions, or curriculum, contact David Brown, Director, Wildbranch Writing Workshop, Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT 05827, 800-648-3591, extension 102.

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