The 2013 Writers in the Round Retreat on Star Island is a multi-day creative retreat for songwriters and poets in a beautiful natural setting. The retreat is a time for artisitic growth in a safe environment, fostered by instructors who are experts in their art, be it songwriting, poetry, or spoken word, and who are whole-souled in their approach to life.
A Supportive Approach
The small group experience consists of classes for instruction, workshops for creative expression, and evening programs, which support a healthy group dynamic.
Participants are encouraged to take risks and push themselves to explore new aspects to the process of writing. Honesty, compassion, and humor are qualities valued by retreat organizers and participants.
Activities: New Beginnings and New Horizons
The development of a nurturing, yet challenging creative environment is a central goal. Formal activities are focused exclusively on this goal. There are also opportunities for informal networking, which are supported as a part of retreat activities. Through immersion in the formal and informal activities, participants often embark upon new creative directions never before touched upon, and form new creative associations with others outside of their daily walk in life. As such the retreat fosters diversity, and celebrates new beginnings and new horizons.
Star Island 2013
Retreat
Hello All!
We are happy to announce that Writers in the Round Creative
Retreat On Star Island is now entering our ninth
year! We hope you will share with others and if
possible let us know of your plans to attend this year's
retreat. Registration opens on April 1. You may contact the
Conference Registrar/Co-Chair at ellent@maine.edu. , or
contact Co-Chair Craig Werth at craig@craigwerth.com.)
Financial aid is available again with Star Island. Many WITR attendees have made good use of financial aid in previousyears. Full details are listed on the Star website: starisland.org/conferences/financial-aid
This year's Writers in the Round (WITR) Retreat on Star,
hosted by Ellen Taylor and Craig Werth, will take place from
Thursday, September 5 to Sunday, September 8, 2013.
About the Instructors
Songwriting: Susan Crowe
This songwriting instructor/facilitator is Susan Crowe of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Often described as a "writer's writer", Susan is one of Canada's most respected singer songwriters in the folk genre. At once complex, challenging and accessible, Susan's intelligent and moving songs have captivated audiences and reviewers from coast to coast, continent to continent. She possesses, in the words of Britain's Folk Roots magazine, "that rare ability of crafting a lyric that bears scrutiny on its own terms." That rare ability has earned her two Juno nominations, and nominations from both the West Coast and East Coast Music Awards. Visit Susan's website to learn more about her: www.susancrowe.com.
Poetry: John-Michael Albert
Our poetry instructor, John-Michael Albert ("Mike" to his
friends), is Portsmouth NH's current poet laureate.
In the late 90s, Mike dived into the thriving Seacoast
poetry community. He has been a member of the board of the Poetry
Society of New Hampshire and Jazzmouth:
The Portsmouth Poetry and Jazz Festival,
and was a founding member of the poetry workshop and
performance ensemble, Blood on the Floor.
He is the editor of both The 2008
and The 2010 Poets’ Guide to New Hampshire,
a 2-volume anthology of 400 poems about his new home state
by 300 poets, culled from the last two centuries. He is the
author of Two-Ply and Extra Sensitive,
collected published poems 2000-2006 (Sheltering Pines Press,
2007) and Vivaldi for Breakfast,
collected published poems 2005-2009 (Moon Pie Press, 2009),
Cardamom Cravings, notes for an
autobiography (Sargent Press, 2012), The Bird
Catcher, new and selected poems (Moon Pie
Press, 2012), Apple Blossoms, Splinters and
Flames, peace poems (Sargent Press, 2008)
and Oh, Ethel! Did You See That?,
humorous poetry (Sargent Press, 2008). In April 2011, he was
appointed to a two-year term as the eighth Portsmouth (NH)
Poet Laureate. http://www.johnmichaelalbert.com
Registration Information
Registration for the WITR Conference begins on May 1,
2013. See top right section of this web page for more
information and relevant links.
