Creative Writing Field Seminars

Voices from the Massachusetts Mountains: From Edwards (Jonathan) to Arlo (Guthrie).

This course offers an in-depth look at a region small in geographical terms but large in literary, cultural and natural history. Students will spend 10 days exploring Stockbridge Massachusetts and nearby villages, mountains, rivers and lakes. Each student will prepare an historical biography and a reading or presentation of a significant contributor to the cultural and literary history that is Stockbridge. We will visit homes and significant locales for these people as well as explore the natural terrain to provoke students' own responses to this rich environment, which will be shared in workshops.

The People:

• Jonathan Edwards, writer, clergyman
• Nathanial Hawthorne, writer
• Herman Melville, writer
• Edith Wharton, writer
• Henry James, writer
• William Cullen Bryant, journalist
• Norman Rockwell, illustrator
• Daniel Chester French, sculptor
• Arlo Guthrie, musician

The Activities:

• climbing the mountain where Nathanial met Herman
• visits to the homes, museums, studios of the above
• a kayak trip along the Housatonic River
• a hike along an unusual glacial deposit, The Ice Glen
• kayak, hiking and writing day at a pond in a nearby forest preserve
• optional day trip to Vermont to visit homes and studios of Grandma Moses, painter and Robert Frost, poet
• optional day trip to Eric Carle's Museum of Picture Book Art
• a lawn concert at the Tanglewood Music Festival
• a play at Shakespeare and Company
• a group screening of Alice's Restaurant (the movie)

Student Work: Students will complete the biographical and content presentation as above a daily writing journal which responds to the activities and settings an annotated bibliography a finished piece of writing which will be due after returning from the trip

Arrangements: Housing will be provided at low cost by Kathy Ayres for up to 10 Meals will be catered with certain days set aside for dinner outings Boat rentals and tickets to all tours and events will be included in the costs Students are responsible for their own transportation. Stockbridge is about 8 hours from Pittsburgh. Carpooling is encouraged.
Because the housing will be low in cost and students may transport themselves, this is designed to be a highly affordable field seminar. Cost estimates are currently being assembled.