Meet Me at Ghost Ranch

It’s the middle of a hot, hot summer in West Virginia, which makes me long for autumn. And I cannot even imagine autumn without a trip to my other favorite place, New Mexico. Again this year, if the fates allow, I will be teaching a weeklong class at Ghost Ranch. The title of the class is “KISS: Keep It Short & Shapely,” and it’s a week of writing short essays, this year from October 7 to 13. We’ll hear some wonderful essays, mine our own beliefs and experiences for inspiration, write amazing essays, and then make them even better by editing them.

Year after year, the quality of writing in this class thrills me. Part of that, I think, has to do with the atmosphere at Ghost Ranch. There’s space and time and a special camaraderie here that encourages one to open up, take risks, and work at a higher level. It’s a gift we give one another and one that can remain long after the class has ended.

So…meet me at Ghost Ranch. Sign up for the class at http://www.ghostranch.org. Quick instructions: Go to the menu for “Courses and Retreats,” choose “Online Catalog,” and then search by my name or the week, October 7-13. (Sorry about the complicated  procedure, but their website won’t allow me to link directly to the page.)

Hope to see you in October!

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Goodbye, Ghost Ranch

At the end of the afternoon, the setting sun lights up Kitchen Mesa so that it looks as if it were a huge mound of molten gold. It’s so bright that even its reflection glows in the windows of the Agape Center. It seems a fitting image, now that I have made the long shuttle ride from Ghost Ranch to Santa Fe, now that I am contemplating tomorrow’s flight back to West Virginia. Once again, I see Ghost Ranch only in reflection. Of course, I anticipate next year. And, most important, try to be in the present.

Goodbye, mesas and sage. Goodbye, cottonwoods and coyotes. Goodbye, Ghost Ranch. See you next time.

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Writing Essays at Ghost Ranch

This is a typical morning sky at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. That flat-topped mountain on the left is Pedernal, one of Georgia O’Keeffe’s favorite painting subjects. Needless to say, this landscape is still among the most inspiring, and not only for painters.

Each October, for the past few years, I have had the privilege and joy to lead a workshop at Ghost Ranch. It’s happening again this year, from October 10-16. “Read-Aloud Writing: Shapely Short Essays” is the title of the workshop, and that’s what we’ll be writing: short, shapely pieces that are meant to be read aloud. The class meets every morning for a week, and afternoons are free for writing, hiking, thinking, visiting with new friends.

And, each October, I am amazed by the quality of writing that emerges. There’s something magical about the camaraderie at Ghost Ranch, the awesome landscape, the collaborative process, and perhaps the students’ willingness to revise, revise, and revise some more.

Last fall, in fact, I thought that some of the essays my class wrote were so good that, when someone suggested publishing a chapbook, I agreed to edit it. The resulting booklet, published by Village Books Press (Cheyenne, OK), turned out beautifully, as you can see:

The fine cover photography (and Photoshopping) are the work of one of the class members, William Graustein, who also took this picture of our group:

Can you tell that we bonded? I can’t speak for the students, but I would have to say that this one of my all-time-favorite experiences as a workshop leader. I won’t promise a chapbook every year (in fact, it WAS a lot of work), but I do promise you’ll meet some fine people and do some writing of which you can be proud.

There’s something about Ghost Ranch. If you have a yearning to write short essays, to spend a week with a congenial group of fellow writers, and to experience the place that has inspired Georgia O’Keeffe and so many other people, I hope you’ll check out the Ghost Ranch website and search for “Read-Aloud Writing.”

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Finding holiness at Ghost Ranch

One of my favorite places on earth is Ghost Ranch, in northern New Mexico. To hear why, follow this link to my essay at West Virginia Public Radio:

http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=11

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Last day at Ghost Ranch

Rainbow over Orphan Mesa at Ghost Ranch

The weather changed, and a storm came up, on the last day I spent at Ghost Ranch this year. Most people were in the dining hall when we began to hear people saying, “Go outside! Go outside!” This is what we saw. It was the perfect ending for a perfect week.

Did I mention that my students wrote wonderful essays? I was so proud of them all!

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