The 2011 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 creative 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 2011 Retreat

Hello All!
I am happy to announce that Writers in the Round Creative Retreat On Star Island is now entering our seventh year! This is the advance notice of the conference, which I am sending just to past participants and instructors. I hope you will share with others and if possible let us know of your plans to attend this year's retreat. Registration opens on May 1st for the general public and on April 1st for past participants. You may contact the Conference Chairperson at media@perpublisher.com, or call 603-431-5667 or 603-205-0552.

Financial aid is available again with Star Island. They are also offering their 10/10 Bring a Friend program again this year. Many WITR attendees took advantage of both programs last year. 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 Deidre Randall, will take place from September 8 to 11, 2011. Bob Franke will be teaching the art of songwriting and John Perrault will be the poetry instructor for this seventh year for the island salon, which draws songwriters and poets to Star Island from all over New England.

About the Instructors

This season's instructors include Bob Franke; a seasoned songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Kathy Mattea; Peter, Paul and Mary; David Wilcox; John McCutcheon; Sally Rogers; Lui Collins; Garnet Rogers; June Tabor. Bob's desire is to make music that joins the fabric of people's real lives. This sparked the creation of his popular "Songwriting From the Center" seminar, in which he teaches everyone how to turn their own day-to-days into the stuff of song.

Franke says, "I try to give my students the mechanical and psychological tools to write good songs, healing songs." Bob's songs are fueled by his deep faith and the real-life lessons taught him by his 30-odd years of playing everywhere from concert halls to street corners. Bob has appeared in concert in 40 states, four Canadian provinces and England. His concerts have appeared in lists of the top five musical events of the year chosen by critics in the Boston and San Francisco Bay areas. Visit his website; www.bobfranke.com to learn more.

Our poetry instructor is Jon Perrault; who is a lawyer, teacher, poet, and balladeer. John was co-recipient of the Rosalie Boyle/Norma Farber Award, 2008, from the New England Poetry Club; a finalist in the 2007 Comstock Review poetry contest, and a past recipient of the Virginia Prize from The Lyric magazine. His poems have appeared in The Christian Science Monitor, Commonweal, The Cafe Review, Poet Lore, and elsewhere. He is the author of three books, and he was poet laureate of Portsmouth, NH, 2003-2005.

Visit his website to learn more about his unique approach to the teaching process, and his interest in the interplay of words and music at: www.johnperrault.com

Registration Information

The Writers in the Round Creative Retreat received a grant from the Isles of Shoals Association to help defray costs for the 2011 season. Please consider becoming a member of the ISA. Visit their website at www.shoals.org for more information on this non-profit island support organization.

Costs for the retreat reflect a 2.5% increase from Star island and range from single occupancy for $560.00 to triple occupancy for $448.00, with the fee for the ferry included in the room and board fee. Click Here to download a PDF of the 2011 Registration Form.

In order to register this year, please send a deposit of $175 and the registration form to Deidre Randall/WITR, PO Box 4726, Portsmouth, NH 03802. Your $175 deposit is applied in this way; $100 to WITR and $75 to Star Island. Star Island accepts credit cards for payment of room and board fees. Your balance is due on island.

WITR Conference Registration Fee + Star Room & Board Rates = Total Cost

Single: 100+460=$560
Double: 100+370=$470
Triple: 100+348=$448
Motel Double: 100+407=$510
Motel Single: 100+620=$720

This year the WITR group's boat will leave PORTSMOUTH HARBOR at 4:30pm on the 8th and return at 3pm on the 11th. Star island is one of the Isles of Shoals, off the coast of Rye, NH. An intimate group of 30 to 32 attendees work with two instructors in daily classes and workshops, and collaborate with each other, to create new poetry and songs. A hallmark of the retreat is the strong community of support that develops almost overnight. Past participants and instructors note this retreat as a highly productive time they look forward to each year. Supporting entities include; Club Passim, Portsmouth Community Radio, the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program, the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, The Muses's Muse, and SongU.com.

Conference Chair and Registrar Deidre Randall is an award-winning singer/songwriter, a poet and the Hostess of “Writers in the Round,” a live radio showcase on Portsmouth Community Radio, aired on second Wednesdays from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

As they say on Star Island, “You will come back!”
We hope you can join us again this year.
Sincerely,
Deidre Randall