Description
This package includes a 5-night stay in a private room in the shared Garden House only steps away from the PLAYA garden and the main Commons lodge, registration for Writing the More-Than-Human World, and two group dinners as listed in the workshop description below.
Choose “single” for one workshop registration and single room occupancy.
Choose “double” for two workshop registrations and double room occupancy.
The Poppy Room is a cozy, south-facing private room in the Garden House closest to the PLAYA garden and main Commons lodge. The room includes a queen bed, closet, chair and nightstand. You will share the large kitchen, dining area, living room and bathroom with the other bedroom renter as well as anyone who camps in the garden. The PoppyRoom is secure so renters can lock their belongings inside. Please note that the refrigerator is a shared appliance. Labeling your food is encouraged. This low-cost option creates more affordability for folks on a budget. The house comes furnished with all kitchen utensils, bedding, towels and furnished dining and lounge area.
WRITING THE MORE-THAN-HUMAN-WORLD
Instructor: Jennifer Perrine
Dates: July 11-16, 2024
Arrival: Thursday, July 11
Departure: Tuesday, July 16
Skill Level: All skills welcome
Mobility Level: Easy. All activities may be completed seated, standing, walking, or rolling. Participants may choose to bring a camp chair or stool for comfort during outdoor activities.
Workshop Description:
Nature writing is often viewed as a Eurocentric practice, but it has roots throughout global majority cultures. In this workshop, we’ll use practices carried by those many cultures to help us notice the more-than-human world—those aspects of nature outside of ourselves—and to write about our entanglement with other beings. Each day, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with a new skill or writing tradition, including the short poetic form of tanka, the prose/poetry hybrid of haibun, and the mindfulness practices of forest bathing and bird noticing.
You’ll also have ample independent time to explore, write, and read. The instructor will provide examples of nature-centered poetry, essays, and fiction by Black, Indigenous, Asian Diaspora, and Latine writers for those seeking further inspiration. You’ll also have the option to meet one-on-one with the instructor for individualized writing mentoring. You’ll leave the workshop with at least 8 drafts of poems or short prose, plus a variety of skills for writing about nature and your place within it.
Instructor Bio:
Jennifer (JP) Perrine is the author of four books of poetry: Again, The Body Is No Machine, In the Human Zoo, and No Confession, No Mass. Their latest poems and essays appear in Five Minutes, The Maine Review, The Cincinnati Review, Pleiades, Nimrod, New Letters, Poetry Northwest, Orion Magazine, Harpur Palate, Oregon Humanities, and Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, and Poetry. Perrine lives in Portland, Oregon, where they co host the Incite: Queer Writers Read series, teach writing, and work as the equity and racial justice program manager with the Metro Parks and Nature Department. https://www.jenniferperrine.org/
Agenda:
Each day will start at nine am with a half hour warm up, followed by a talk about craft. From two to four pm, group craft talk and workshop short drafts. Melissa will also meet with students in half hour, 1:1 meetings for questions.
Day 1: Thursday, July 11: 2:00-5:00 pm Arrival | Afternoon and Dinner on your own | 6pm-7pm: Welcome and Introductions; Writing our natural histories (Commons Lodge)
Day 2: Friday, July 12: Morning tanka and haibun walks/sit spots at PLAYA campus | Lunch on Your Own | Afternoon: Independent exploration, writing, and reading time | 6pm Group dinner provided by PLAYA
Day 3: Saturday, July 13: Shinrin yoku (“forest bathing”) and writing at Summer Lake | Lunch on your own | Optional 1-on-1 writing coaching/mentoring | Afternoon- Independent exploration, writing, and reading time | 6 pm Optional group potluck dinner
Day 4: Sunday, July 14: Morning bird noticing and writing at Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge | Lunch on your own | Optional 1-on-1 writing coaching/mentoring + Afternoon: Independent exploration, writing, and reading time| Evening bird noticing and writing at Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge
Day 5: Monday, July 15: Writing our natural futures (Commons Lodge); Group Share; Closing | Afternoon: Independent exploration, writing, and reading time | Group dinner provided by PLAYA
Day 6: Tuesday, July 16: Depart by noon
Equipment to bring:
- Paper and pens/pencils or laptop and charger
- Printer if you like to work with printed copies of your work. PLAYA is limited on printing capabilities.
*No pets allowed. Thank you.
