07 Jul, 2011

Spring time at the Banff Writing Studio

Consider this an endorsement. I spent the last week of April and all of May in Banff working on a memoir that had been stuck and rotting in my desk. What a great experience!
Greg Hollingshead, director of the Writing Studio, set the tone early, making an explicit announcement that discussions would be about the craft of writing, and not about the many depressing aspects of the publishing industry: awards, agents, distribution, sales, etc. I was struck repeatedly by the high level of engagement of both the 24 participants and the faculty members. And eating buffet-style in a Valhalla of a dining hall, surrounded by views of the Rocky Mountains, never got old for me, nor did the broccoli. Neither did the conversations with fellow writers. You can read more about my experiences in a blog post I did for CBC Manitoba earlier this month.