Poets & Writers Picnic 2007

2007 Workshop / Blog / 2006 Workshop / About Writing Workshops / 2006 Picnic / Past Picnics & Worshops

Watch Mountainair Arts (the blog) for updates on the 2007 Poets & Writers Picnic and the Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop. Blogged articles, picnic or workshop posts, announcements, images, reader bios, picnic & workshop updates and more will be linked here.

Download Poets & Writers Picnic flyer

Pages of Picnics past & other poetry pages will remain online at for reference & as a poetry resource. Other than for index page, maintainance will be minimal.

2007 Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop

The 2007 Poetry Writing Workshop, August 23-35, 2007, will be three days long rather than two days, as has been the schedule for previous workshops. There is always so much to cover in a poetry writing workshop. Because the 2005 and 2006 workshop were so well received, Picnic and Workshop organizer Dale Harris has expanded the Workshop to three days.

Download 2007 Sunflower Poetry Workshop Flyer

Dates:

10th Annual Poets & Writers Picnic - Saturday August 25, 2007, 12n - 5 pm
Sunflower Poetry Workshop - starting Thursday evening August 23, continuing Friday August 24 through noon Saturday August 25. Workshop participants are encouraged to continue their workshop experience by reading at the Poets & Writers Picnic

Once again, the Shaffer Hotel offers workshop enrollees a good discount on rooms. Scholarships/discounts for workshop fees will available on an individual basis.

For more details and updates on the 2007 Poetry Writing Workshop, full and partial workshop scholarships, or the 2007 Poets & Writers Picnic, contact Dale Harris.

Mountainair Arts

The Mountainair Arts blog will continue to cover the Poets & Writers Picnic, Sunflower Folk Art Day, as well as other Manzano Mountain Arts Council (MMAC), Mountainair, and area events evants of interest. Sign up at the blog for free e-mail subscriptions.

Picnic & Workshop on the blog:

10th Annual Poets & Writers Picnic (and Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop): introductory post.

2006 Sunflower Poetry Writing Workshop

Held August 25-26, 2006 at the Shaffer Hotel, in conjunction with the 9^th Annual Poets & Writers Picnic, concurrent with the 2006 Sunflower Folk Art Day.

Workshop Faculty: poets Dale Harris & Greg Candela and actor Scott Sharot

Workshop Notes

For a second year, the workshop was an add-on to the popular Poets & Writers Picnic, the oldest ongoing event sponsored by the Manzano Mountain Arts Council.

Between workshop students and Poets & Writers Picnic attendees, the Shaffer was at full capacity both nights and the creative buzz was incredible. We had 15 writers who came from near (Merris Atman, Veguita, NM) and far (Sally from Bisbee, AZ). Workshoppers arrived Friday afternoon, settling into the Shaffer before heading off on separate jaunts around Mountainair and the hotel grounds for writing inspiration.

Friday night's session topic was "The Power of a Few Words - Getting Started," addressing the naturee off inspiration and priming the pump, followed by group and individual exercises that generated material for writing poems. After the evening writing session, thanks to Shaffer manager John Cate, workshoppers and facilitators enjoyed an old fashioned campfire and sat around reading poetry, telling stories and jokes.

Shaffer firepit

Saturday morning, workshoppers re-convened for more group writing and editing exercises. The morning session was devoted to hands-on editing, "Finding the Sculpture Inside the Wood - Revision" and then Scott Sharot's segment "Harvesting the Words - Poetry Performance." Scott's hilarious "Acting 101" class honed Spoken Word performance skills. Workshopping poets had an immediate opportunity to apply their new performance skills by reading their poems on the open mic at the Poets & Writers Picnic that afternoon.

Comments from poetry workshop students:

“I had a great weekend! Very nourishing...I was challenged, inspired and entertained. What more could I ask for?”

“I liked the relaxed feeling in the workshop. The atmosphere encouraged friendly, helpful criticism.”

“Overall it was a great event.”

Other feedback was that the workshop should be longer so more time could be spent writing and also exploring Mountainair. Are we going to do it again in 2007? You bet, and we’re thinking seriously about adding another day.

Update note: and we've done it. Workshop 2007 is 3 days, running August 23-25

About Writing Workshops

Learn more about poetry writing workshops. Check out this resource collection.

Poets and Writers Picnic 2006

Despite threatening skies and gusting winds, the weather cooperated by holding back threatened monsoon downpours. The gazebo lawn was green and inviting for going about barefoot, lounging in lawn chairs, spreading blankets and picnicking. Turnout was appreciative but lighter than in some years.

A group of local artists, Judy Mowris, Geree McDermott, Robin des Jardins, and Joan of Joan's Home Studio, set up in the pavilion at the back of the garden, manned the poets' books and CDs for sale table, and gifted Sunflower ATCs (Artists Trading Cards) to the featured readers in appreciation for their contribution to Sunflower. The Picnic announcement that the poets' gifts from Manzano Mountain Arts Council was not accurate as this gesture of appreciation was courtesy of independent local artists.

Poets & Writers Picnic featured readers read interspersed readings with an active open mic and folk music provided by Gerard Bezzeg, Frank Melcori, and a local folk guitarrist.

Todd Moore reading at PWP 2006 Gerard Bezzeg, Frank Melcori and friend, PWP 2006

The 2006 Poets & Writers Picnic was just one of the events going on around Mountainair that day as part of Sunflower festivities that included music and art. More pictures from the Poets & Writers Picnic and Sunflower at the Mountainair Arts blog: