2:00 am

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. thinking of the conference and the people I met for the first time, and those I happily saw again after getting to know them last year. Thank you for being honest, being kind, giving me the space to both trip and shine, and being a fellow lover of learning.

Karen

Inspiration

So far, I am completely impressed with New Mexico, the Taos Writer's conference, and Rob Wilder's workshop. I have never dared to call myself a writer before this week. Figures I would try it when I am surrounded by older, wiser, published people. But in a burst of confidence (inspired partly by R. Rodriguez's gallant address), I have decided I don't mind. In fact, I'm glad to be in a community where I am challenged. I can't be lazy, short-sighted, or ego-obsessed in a room full of other, better writers. But neither can I be insecure, hesitant, or safe.

So there I am, balancing my laptop on the wall outside the Comfort Suites in front of God and everyone, deciding to be daring.

Shelly

Fish Fear This Man

I'm happy to report that John is feeling much less abandoned since he has discovered the joys of flyfishing. He spent the day in Culebra, Colorado terrorizing the rainbow and brown trout.

Brenda from Falls Church...now writing with a clean conscious

Organic Prop

I am addicted to writing workshops so imagine my surprise when I heard a term yesterday I had never heard before in a workshop - organic prop. Eureka. I was able to use my new tool to breathe life into a piece I had given up for dead. Just goes to show that my grandmama was right. What you are looking for IS always in the last place you look!


Last night John and I took a long, long, long ride looking for a restaurant that wasn't there. It was a beautiful ride - along the high road from Taos to Santa Fe. But we never found the restaurant we were looking for. We doubled back and stopped at Embudo Station on highway 68 about 17 miles south of Taos next to the Rio Grande. I had been there before. Once a few years ago on my way to a workshop with Natalie Goldberg - and long ago in 1971 when I lived there with a small group in what could only generously be called a commune. This wasn’t the kind of commune that is made up of idealistic hippies in geodesic domes, raising their own food and having mudding parties. There were communes like that - New Buffalo and Morning Star – but this was really a collection of cabins inhabited by a bunch of strangers with nothing more in common than empty pockets and a distrust of authority. There were ten of us. Most of the men all carried guns and they were kinder to their dogs than they were to their old ladies. Alan and Frank were the leaders. It took me a few days to get accustomed to the sight of Frank roaming around the grounds with a pistol in his hand. He was tall and wiry with long curly black hair and a beard. Alan was shorter but solid with close cropped blonde hair. He looked like he had just gotten out of prison or the army. Alan assigned us one of the small cabins behind the main house. There were 6 cabins connected to the main house by a wooden walkway. Our cabin had a narrow bed, a table with one chair and a stove made from an oil drum. The cabin was freezing in the morning. Since I woke up first I would get up and start the fire using brush and pinion wood. There was one window. It looked out on the rocky hills behind the commune. I passed the days wandering along the trails that ran behind the commune. On warm days when the sun warmed the rocks I would lie down on them and watch the clouds.

Workshop Mode

I'm happy in an Amarillo hotel room. It's not a particularly nice one. Setting seems to move down the priority list on an adventure like this. A week where I'll be encouraged to stay in my head is something I've been looking forward to.

I'm in Antonya Nelson's short fiction workshop. This is the second time I've had to leave Texas to do a workshop with a writer that lives in Houston. I live in Houston. What a fantastic excuse to travel.

I'm online because naturally, during the many hours that I've had to myself in the car, thinking about writing and listening to books on tape, I discovered a few ways to improve the short story I'm bringing. The short story that I printed 13 copies of at my local Copy.com a thousand miles ago. So, I'm looking online for a place to print out the new version of my story once I'm in Taos. The white box full of paper sitting on my passenger seat is now obsolete.

I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible. Huzzay Huzzay!

I'm Here!!

Good morning fellow writers! It was after midnight when I arrived so I haven't seen much of the Land of Enchantment yet. Looking forward to meeting y'all soon.

Brenda from Falls Church VA

http://neverfarawayfromhome.blogspot.com/

Don't forget a jacket... and maybe an umbrella!

Reading Schedule

Hi everyone,

We've finalized the schedule for our faculty and scholarship-recipient readings:

Saturday, 1 - 1:45pm: Bonnie Lee Black, Taos Resident scholar & Orlando White, Native Writer scholar

Monday, 1 - 2pm: D.H. Lawrence Fellow Philip Cioffari, Hispanic Writer Felicia Caton Garcia, Leo Love Merit Scholars Nancy Best & Marjorie Saiser, & A Room of Her Own recipient Wendy Miles

All of the following Masters Faculty readings, which are scheduled at lunchtime from 1 - 2pm, will begin with a 45-minute open mic:

Tuesday: Judith Van Gieson
Wednesday: Greg Martin
Thursday: Justin Cronin
Friday: Hilda Raz & John Dufresne

Finally, all of our other faculty readings will take place during weekday evenings, 5:30 - 6:30pm:

Tuesday:
Pam Houston, Greg Glazer, Barbara Robinette Moss, & Robert Boswell

Wednesday:
Anthony Doerr, Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, Leslie Adrienne Miller, & Jesse Lee Kercheval

Thursday:
Laura Dave, Jeff Davis, Antonya Nelson, & Rob Wilder

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Robert Boswell's Novel Workshop

I signed up for Robert Boswell's session, and want to be prepared to get the most out of it. I write YA novels, and heard a rumor that he's written one as well. I couldn't find it at Amazon, nor on his website. Can anyone enlighten me? I have read Century's Son, and recommend it. A number of Robert Boswell's novels are available at the Taos Public Library. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone in my session!
Lauren

Computer Pod Announcement

The conference will be setting up a computer pod with several laptop computers and a printer for the use of our participants and faculty. However, we will unfortunately only be able to supply PC's this year, so Mac aficionados who anticipate needing computer access are recommended to bring their own laptops if at all possible.

I Want to See the Pictures!

I just finished reading the essays written by the other writers who will be in Rob Wilder's class and I have two things to say -- maybe three. I feel like I know y'all already. That's what good writing does I think. (Of course I do already know one of you...in fact I think we were separated at birth.) Next - PLEASE bring pictures of the the people and places you talk about in your writing. I want to see you Uncle, you as a baby with a stuffed turtle, the Serengeti, hubby, that sweet husband that likes to hold babies! Looking forward to getting to know you all better.

Brenda from Falls Church, VA

Hello to All

Another complete newbie to blogging here, bidding my fellow conference attendees a warm hello. I'm driving from Tacoma to Taos via Salt Lake City in a couple of weeks, as soon as I finish a stint of jury duty (my daughter lives in SL, a student at the U of U). Having just completed the school year, I am thrilled to have the entire summer to immerse myself in reading, writing, learning, and frolicking. The week in Taos with all of you looms as the jewel of the summer.

Now, the shift is on from reading my students' essays on Louise Erdrich's Tracks and Hamlet to a second reading of the manuscripts of my fellow memoirists in Greg's class. And I just finished Vivian Gornick's memoir in the jury waiting area at Pierce County Municipal Courthouse this morning. I closed the book, closed my eyes, and listened with ears that had become attuned to the voices resounding through all I've been reading of late -- listened to prospective jurors from across the spectrum: grandparents, single moms and dads, mechanics, employees of Boeing, all weaving themselves together with stories.

Needless to say, I'm thrilled, especially to meet Susan, Caroline, Jennifer, Marc, and Cynthia, whose voices I've come to know as dear old friends. What a trip to encounter you all in embodied space in a few weeks! (I hope you've all received my manuscript, such as it is. I apologize for it going out so late. There's a story, of course.)

All the Best,

Creighton

Robert Wilder E-mail - Unused no more (hopefully)

Sorry about the frustration with the email! If you're in Rob Wilder's class and are trying to send your assigned writing piece in, please use the following email:

robert at robertwilder dot com

Naturally convert the at and the dot; we're trying to protect Rob from spam programs that might track him down by the email format!

Hope that solves the problem. If you have any other questions of course you can post here, or you can email us at the taosconf email account and we'll be happy to help.

More unused!

Hey, I have had the same response when I tried to send Rob Wilder a missive. Do we have a better e-mail address for him? The address listed at the end of our letter is Rwilder@sfprep.org. My e-mail contained no attachements or anything else that would have caused it to be returned.

Help?! :-)

and now what?

I managed to cobble together from all my various and asundry essays and stories a "whole draft" albeit with a few holes. I even got it printed out, (167 pages) copied-- double sided and three hole punched-- and mailed out to the participants for the Memoir Master Class at the Taos Writers Conference this July.

I made the deadline.... and as I stood there at Kinkos watching the copy machine spit out pages of my manuscript I cried. I don't know why. Happy tears, sad tears, woulda shoulda coulda tears, if only I had another day tears, am I ready to move into the revision stage tears.... how will my manuscript stack up next to everyone else's tears.... And now what am I gonna do tears.

Well, I have 5 manuscripts to read, several essays and two books. And lord knows what else Greg will have in store for us when we get there.

Truth be told I'm very excited, and looking forward to the critique and the opportunity to continue to work on my craft.... and offer to others insight and critique that is helpful. Although writing is a solitary task, we thrive in community.

34 more days! I better get reading!

Unused

I'm was so excited. Robert gave us homework. We are to send an essay - no more than 20 pages - that we want to workshop during our week in Taos.

Tried to email essay and received this message in return:

The message that you sent was undeliverable to the following: Rwilder (UNUSED)

That was the fastest I've ever had a piece of writing rejected.

Did any one else have this problem?

May 10 journal entry

May 10, 2007

I realize that many conference goers will not be making entries into the journal until the actual sign-in, but for me, the conference experience began when I dropped my check in the mail. Almost immediately I began second-guessing myself, wondering if I was in over my head, if I was good enough to be a part of this group. My doubts and misgivings intensified when I received my registration packet, and a form letter from instructor Rob Wilder. Rob has given his class reading homework so that we have a common framework to discuss (a great idea), but he also wants each of us to send him an essay that we want to work on with the group. Up to 20 pages. I want to state for the record that I have yet to exceed 1000 words on any essay I have written. We are talking two pages at the most. To say that I was feeling anxious would be an understatement.

I am not a great believer in mystical things, but I do think that most everything we need in our lives is within our reach if we just open our eyes and put forth our hands. Within a day or two of receiving my packet, I read an editorial by C. Hope Clark in one of her online newsletters. She discussed her own feelings of inadequacy, and her fears that she would not measure up when faced with her peers. She reminded herself and her readers that we are works-in-progress, that we can only be who we are. But we each have a unique perspective, a story that no one else can tell. She resolved to get out there and do her best, learn all she could and share all she had.

My second reinforcement came from reading my homework. :-) In his introduction to The Best American Essays 2004, Louis Menand addresses the anxiety a writer faces of losing her “voice”. It helped me to realize that I am not alone, and heaven help me, misery does love company.

Since I am in such good company, I will borrow some of Hope’s resolve, and do my best, for myself and my classmates.

I apologize for the length of this post, but I had to get it out of my system. Remember, turnabout is fair play.

Reading Essays...

...and liking it. I guess the only essays I've been exposed to are the ones that I hear on Public Radio. Of course, I don't hear much because my husband usually switches to a sports station while mumbling some negative comment about essayists just as I am getting interested. I'm enrolled in Rob Wilder's essay workshop so I dutifully ordered The Best American Essays of 2004 from Amazon. After letting it sit unopened for a while, I started reading and now I can't stop. I was amazed by the range of emotion I experienced while reading Lara Hillenbrand's A Sudden Illness. Envy (Kathryn Chetkovich) was hard to read because I identified too closely. To be honest, I'm not sure why I enrolled in an essay writing class. Maybe it's because novel writing isn't fun anymore. Maybe it's because I'd like to finish something for a change. Or maybe it's because Rob Wilder is so darn cute (ooops). Guess I'd better get busy and try to write an essay. Looking forward to seeing y'all in Taos.

Spider Man Made Us Cry

Hey Friends,

Hope this post finds you well. I'm really looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones in Taos. Daddy Needs a Drink just came out in paperback and we're having a "Daddy Needs Your Stories" Father's Day Contest at www.robertwilder.com. I also just finished a reader's guide that might get me arrested. My new book Tales From the Teachers' Lounge will be out in the fall as well.

This past superhero weekend, my son London and I went to see Spiderman 3 with another dad and son combo. I won't spoil the film for you but let's just say that London wept at Peter Parker's uncle being shot over and over (enough already?) while my tears sprung from a most unflattering twist scene with Kirsten Dunst in a NYC kitchen, not to mention a narrative as fractured as Madonna falling off a horse. After that, we went to a comic book store for a free comic from a shifty-eyed man with a poorly trimmed beard. On Sunday, London went to a birthday party where Batman appeared with some apparent gender transformation issues. The kids didn't know whether to call the Caped Crusader "Batman," "Batgirl," or "Batwoman," or a combination of all three. Needless to say, London desperately wants him/her at our next soiree.

Colorado Springs?

Hello to all! I'm Sue, moving in the last month from Angel Fire, NM (23 miles from Taos) to Colorado Springs. Rather unexpectedly- never dreamed the house would sell before summer!

I'm a native New Mexican (from age 4) and know all of you from other parts of the country will love Taos. It's beautiful, unique and full of very talented artists.

I'm in Laura Dave's "Beginning your Novel" class and Evelina Zuni Lucero's "So the Story Goes" class. Short stories are my thing, but I am working on a novel. Although I've written all my life, I've only recently taken up fiction and I'm totally addicted.

If anyone has questions on NM in general, or Taos specifically, I'd be happy to answer them. Also, if any of you are in my classes - would love to me here! Sue

Hello!

This is a very exciting blog! I'm glad someone thought to do it.

I'm going to be leading a weeklong novel-writing workshop, all about organization. I am a New Mexico native now living in Scottsdale. I've got four published novels floating around in the world. (THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB, PLAYING WITH BOYS, MAKE HIM LOOK GOOD, HATERS)

I just turned in a sequel to my first novel, which will be published next spring. (DIRTY GIRLS ON TOP) In the coming months I will be negotiating all of the following: sale of my second young-adult novel (HATERS IN LOVE); sale of HATERS as a TV series to Nickelodeon; sale of my first memoir (THE PRETTY GIRL'S DAUGHTER).

I'm also hard at work on the screenplay adaptation of my first novel (THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB) for a major motion picture being produced by Debra Martin Chase (SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS), myself, and Nely Galan.

Please feel free to ask me any questions you like, via this blog post (or my own blog, QUEEN SUCIA) - as long as they're about writing. Okay, writing and food.

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Studying with Mueller and Wilder

Hello,

I've lived in Taos for almost three years, but since I never considered myself a Writer, I never attended this conference. I write for the Taos News on a weekly basis, which is fun, and has allowed me to get acquainted with this quirky and wonderful town. (I realize that even though I've been paid for stringing words together for the last six years, and yet have never considered that writing, is an issue.)

I don't know what happened, but all of a sudden I think of myself as a writer (small w, though.) I'm taking Dan Mueller's narrative weekend workshop, and then will spend the week working on nonfiction with Rob Wilder. I'm torn between focusing on memoir (I've just started a long work about my freshman year in college) and short fiction. Maybe I'll do both, we'll see.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

Deonne

Hello from Albuqerque

Hi everyone, my name is Terry, and this is my very first blog entry ever. Makes me laugh at myself because I am a little techno-phobic. Anyway, I signed up for Rob Wilder's Creative Nonfiction class, and am anticipating a week of learning and lots of give-and-take and maybe even some relaxing. :-)

I took a weekend class two years ago with Sean Murphy that was really enjoyable, met some wonderful people, and got the appetite for more.

For all of you not familiar with this area, I think it is probably the best place in the world to live. We generally have beautiful weather, friendly people, and more good food than a body needs. Bring your sunscreen and a big hat, dress in layers and drink lots and lots of water.

See you all soon,
Terry

Deadline fast approaching

I'm Jennifer... from San Diego. I am a blogger... I blog for for fun and for work (but that's fun too). Actually I'm in marketing so I do a lot more than blog at work... but that's another post!

I'm signed on for Gregory Martin's Master Class in memoir. I'm very excited. I started my book, Reconstructing My Mother in Greg's 2005 class. I signed up because the class looked interesting. Then I got the welcome letter that requested we send some 20 pages of our "manuscript" by such and such date. I didn't know I was working on a manuscript! Well, I'm still working on it 2 years later, and looking for a fresh perspective on what I've done so far.

Also looking forward to soaking up the literary environment at the Taos Conference. The readings, engaging with fellow writers, it's all good.

Greetings!

My name is Beatriz and I live in Chicago. I'll be in Pam Houston's short story workshop. I have attended many workshops and taught some as well. This is my first time in New Mexico and I am looking forward to the landscape, the sky, the air, the colors, the light. At least, that's what I've heard people rave about. Anyone else going from Chicago?

b

New Blogger

Hi, I'm not a Blogger, never been a blogger, never thought I would be one, but I am in Hilda Raz's 2007 summer poetry collection workshop, so here I am. I was at Taos last summer, but in connection with a photography workshop in Santa Fe. This is wonderful country for photography, don't know how I'll be able to stay inside. Any others out there in my workshop?



Alan

Greetings frm the Inland Empire

I'm Jeff and I'm from Moreno Valley, California. I am enrolled in Lisa Chavez's weekend poetry workshop and Greg Glazner's week-long workshop. I am mostly unpublished--my only credit being an article I wrote for Cinefex Magazine about the making of the movie Waterworld.

I am taking Lisa Chavez's weekend workshop and Greg Glazner's workshop--both poetry.

I teach high school English, lead a local ukulele circle, and keep a blog here.

My favorite color is blue, my favorite food is hamburgers, and I enjoy long walks in the woods.

This will be my fourth Taos conference.

Hi from New Mexico and welcome to our beautiful state!

Hi,

My name is Michael Smith and I live in Los Alamos, NM (at least till my house sells...). I write poetry, and have attended several workshops, though this will be my first in Taos. I'll be attending Amy Beeder's weekend workshop. I've published a number of poems, but haven't thought much about a book - perhaps the workshop will push me off the edge...

In real life - see my blog.

Anyway, I look forward to meeting everyone. Ask if you have any questions about northern NM, what to expect etc.

Take care and safe travels,

Michael

Labels and Titles

Just a quick announcement - authors, we've added another category to our labels. If you're writing your introductory post, adding the word "greetings" in the "Labels for this post" box will make sure your post comes up in the greetings category.

The blog administrator (who will at least for this post remain anonymous...) just realized that she didn't enable titles for posts. That has been corrected, and there has been a little editing. If you don't like the title we've given your post, please feel free to change it.

Thanks!

Hello from Seattle

Hi -

My name is Leisa Ashbaugh. I am from Seattle and am very much looking forward to the conference. My first. It came highly recommended by a friend who has published several books.

I will be in the weekend publishing workshop and the week long Creative Non-fiction. I am planning a bit of an odyssey for myself, leaving Seattle June 30 and wandering my way down to Taos by way of Moab & Sedona. I know, neither of those is on the way to Taos from Seattle, but I have my reasons. = ) If you're lucky, and I have any of the noteworthy adventures I am counting on, I may even share more about that here.

I am working on my first two books, and my goal is to have two solid book proposals complete with sample chapters to bring along with me to the conference.

I look forward to meeting you all there.
Regards,
Leisa

Greetings from Colorado

Hello,

My name is John Coyle and I'll be attending the weekend publishing workshop with Wendy Weil and also Robert Boswell's Fiction for Serious Writers workshop. I look forward to meeting everyone!

More to come but for now I just wanted to say I'm here ;)

john
Denver, Colorado

Hello from Western New York

I'm a virgin blogger and this is my first entry into that interesting realm. What better place could there be to start than with the Taos Summer Writers Conference, where'll I'll be a first-time attendee. I'm among the weekend group and look forward to meeting fellow writers and poetry instructor Amy Beeder, whose work I'm now studying. See you all in Taos in July.

About the Conference

The Taos Summer Writers Conference was founded in 1998 by Professor Sharon Oard Warner of the University of New Mexico. Participants from not only all over the United States, but also Canada, Taiwan and West Africa have been inspired by the unique workshops and the serene environment of Taos, New Mexico.

You can learn more at the conference website.

Virtual Open Mic - Blog your Original Work

This year we are extending an invitation to our participants to post their work on the Taos Summer Writers Conference blog. While comments are allowed, they will be moderated to avoid spam or other problems, so if you want to respond to a posting please be aware that it might take a little while for your comment to appear.

When posting your original work, please label your post with "virtual open mic" in the"labels for this post" box.

Workshop Journal - Blog Your Taos Experience

This year we would like to encourage our participants to post their thoughts and impressions as they go through their conference experience. If you would like to be part of the blog but have not received an invitation, please send us an email at taosconf@unm.edu and ask to be added to the author roll.

When posting to the workshop journal, please add the label "workshop journal" in the "labels for this post" box.

Welcome

Welcome to the 2007 blog for the Taos Summer Writers Conference. We've already gotten a few questions about last year's travel coordination blog. We will be adding faculty and participants to the author roll over the next few days, and you will receive more information in your welcome packet. Also, we're expanding the blog and adding a few sections this year.

We'd like to invite our participants to live-journal their conference experience. If you'd like to write down some of your thoughts and inspirations at the end of a hard day's workshopping, please put the name of the workshop and, if you like, your name in the title, and add the label "workshop journal" in the "labels for this post" box.

We're also adding a section for participants and faculty to post their work. Title your post and include your name please, and add the label "virtual open mic" in the "labels for this post" box.

Anyone who wants to coordinate travel to Taos should include the label "travel" in the "labels for this post" box.

If you're attending the conference and want to participate in the blog but haven't been added to the author roll please send an email to us at taosconf@unm.edu.