2010 WRITING WORKSHOP
with Jamie Cat Callan
WRITING EN PLEIN AIR
September 8-16, 2010, 8 NIGHTS/9 DAYS
COST: $2295.00 ( tuition, lodging, most meals,
COST: $2295.00 ( tuition, lodging, most meals,
Maybe it's the sunlight as it
glimmers
on the Garonne River...
Or maybe it's the sense of history
as you enter an eleventh
century cathedral.
Or perhaps it's the fig trees warming in the sunlight
and the rooster that crows from across the fields.
Then again, it could be the farmer's marketplace
with the fresh yogurt, the cheese (over 500 kinds)
and the boulangerie
with the most delicious baguettes
you have every tasted.
Or perhaps it's the wine and the fact that
your dream has finally come true.
Yes, you are writing in Southern France!
We'll meet every morning for a
breakfast of locally baked bread,
pastries, and coffee or tea before
we begin the daily workshop session
where we'll discuss the craft of writing
and specifically, your work in
progress (novel chapters,
short stories, essays and memoirs
will be sent to participants
one month prior to the residency).
No more than twelve highly motivated
writers will be selected for this
life-changing writing experience, so you're sure
to get the time, attention and editing
your work deserves. We'll also discuss the business
of finding an agent and getting
published and how to take your writing
to a whole new level.
In the afternoon, you'll experience improvisational
exercises and the joys of writing
en plein air--in the outdoors. If you've ever taken
a class with Jamie, you know her improvisationalwriting exercises have a magical way of getting
you to write and write and write! You'll work
alongside
visual artists and create new work inspired
by field trips or on other days you'll simply write
on your own, or join Jamie for a
private conference to discuss your writing and
your life as a writer. In the early
evening we will meet for aperitifs, some
flash fiction/nonfiction readings, followed
by lively and very social group dinners.
The writing studios will be open for your use,
or you might take your journals out into the large
back yard, or to the bank of the River Garonne
across from the Residency. You can work as
much as you please, wander, take naps, socialize,
or tour the village. This workshop is suited for
all levels, as long as you have some pages to share
for the morning meetings, you're a keen reader
and are willing to participate in writing exercises.
"Writing en Plein Air" will take place
at Moulin a Nef, an artist residency
located in the port section of Auvillar,
one of the "most beautiful villages in France."
Experience the charm of this quaint village with it's
welcoming community. Explore vineyards, go on
field trips with the visual artists to nearby villages such as
St. Cirq Lapopie and Moissac. You'll also enjoy shopping
and wandering around the local market in Valence d'Agen,
and on another field trip, you'll view the ancient paintings
from 20,000 years ago in the caves of Pech Merl. All this will
inspire your work--novels, stories, memoir and creative nonfiction.
Visual artist and Moulin a Nef Resident Director Cheryl Fortier
will be holding a painting workshop during the same period, and our groups
will join during some of the social times with the hopes of encouraging
some spirited discussion, new ideas and the possibility of collaborations.
Towards the end of the workshop we will host
a joint open studio and afternoon of readings.
Includes: All instruction, all housing (double occupancy), all
breakfasts and lunches, seven dinners, fieldtrips, pick up and
drop off at transportation centers in Toulouse
or Agen. Single occupancy requires a $300 supplement.
WORK-STUDY SCHOLARSHIP
There is one partial work-study scholarship available for this workshop.
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Jamie Cat Callan has been teaching creative writing for over
twenty-five years. She currently teaches at the University of
Southern Maine at Stonecoast MFA Program. She has taught her unique
"right brain" style writing workshops at Yale University, U.C.L.A.,
Wesleyan University, Fairfield University and N.Y.U.
She is the creator of The Writers Toolbox:
Creative Games for the 'Write' Side of Your Brain (Chronicle Books),
French Women Don't Sleep Alone and the
forthcoming, Bonjour, Happiness! You can contact Jamie at
JamieCatCallan@aol.com, and visit her blog and website.
