2013 Retreat
More than thirty poets came to Santee, SC from December 27th to the 29th and talked craft with each other. It was a jam packed weekend. (Check out the schedule here.) Our facilitators were fantastic! Tyehimba Jess taught a class on slam and the sonnet, Lita Hooper guided us in unleashing our silenced selves then writing using silence, and Remica L. Bingham taught several topics including the childhood poem. Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, we couldn’t bring in Antoinette Brim. Despite this loss, poetry was in the air and the participants were open. We were really surprised by the attitude that everyone walked in the doors with. From facilitators to participants, everyone was open to each other. There was such an atmosphere of teamwork. No egos. No hierarchy. We were really taken aback by that and hope that it is something we can continue.
One of our goals was to build community, rather than network. It’s only been a few weeks, but it seems like many of the participants are keeping in touch with each other and several of them have been in contact with us as well.
If you would like more information about our facilitators you can read their bios and aesthetics statements here, as well as visit their websites hyperlinked above.
The Call for Participants