May 24-26, 2013

The Champlain College Young Writers’ Conference (CCYWC), a residential writers’ weekend specifically for high school students, takes place this May 24 - 26 on the hillside campus of Burlington's Champlain College. For dedicated young writers, it is a chance to meet others who share their passion for telling the stories of their lives. It is also an opportunity to study the craft of writing with some of New England's most celebrated authors and teachers.

Participate in over ten hours of intensive workshops in fiction, poetry, songwriting, creative nonfiction, script writing, and performance theatre; exchange and critique manuscripts; listen to faculty readings; attend craft sessions; and share work with the CCYW community. On Friday, go to the good place with our keynote speaker, award-winning poet and essayist, Wesley McNair. The author of nine volumes of poems, including Lovers of the Lost: New and Selected Poems, Wesley has held grants from the Fulbright and Guggenheim foundations, two Rockefeller Fellowships, two NEA fellowships, and four honorary degrees for literary distinction. In 2006 he was selected for a United States Artists Fellowship as one of “America’s finest living artists.” Other honors include the Robert Frost Award, the Theodore Roethke Prize, an Emmy Award, and the Sarah Josepha Hale Medal. He was recently invited for the second time to read his poetry at the Library of Congress, and has served four times on the nominating committee for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry. McNair's latest book, his nineteenth, is The Words I Chose, a memoir telling the story of how he became a poet against the odds of a broken home, poverty, and the hardships of family life. He is the Poet Laureate of Maine.

And there's more: Friday evening, read to jazz with Michael Chorney’s celebrated jazz ensemble, or read poems and prose to open mike. On Saturday, slam the night away with our own in-house oracle, the renowned Vermont Slam Champion, Geof Hewitt. Later, become part of the Young Writers' Improvisational Theatre, and kick up your heels at The Spectacular Young Writers' Contra Dance.

Special note: high school teachers and writerly parents are encouraged to attend as chaperones. Chaperones participate in all events, and attend their own writing workshop with veteran workshop leader, Daniel Lusk.

For More Information:

Lesley Wright, CCYW Coordinator
588 Fern Lake Road, Leicester, VT 05733
802-247-5920
E-mail: ccyw@champlain.edu

Please check this site periodically for updates.