Fall-on-the-Farm Poetry Writing Retreat
at ZigBone Farm
Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas
With Award-Winning Poet and Writing Instructor Ann Quinn
September 24-29, 2023
Writers at all stages of their poetry journey are welcome at the fall retreat
Maryland Resident? Click here to apply for a grant to help cover costs!
ZigBone Farm's view in autumn by D. Leibman
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ZigBone Lodge by @taylorsmithphotovideo
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Writer at work in the lodge by @samimallon
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What to expect:
- A six-day, five-night writing retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, Sabillasville, MD with 10-12 like-minded poets
- Nature will be our muse in this incredible 100-acre setting of mountains, fields, hedgerows, forest, and gardens
- Plentiful time and space to write in cozy nooks, on comfy sofas, and wisteria-shaded terraces
- Gathering each morning to discuss craft elements of poetry including form, voice, and sound
- Ideas to stimulate lots of writing and sharing of poetry
- Unparalleled silence to work on your creative projects, but also a chance to share other activities such as hiking, yoga, and art
- Homemade meals prepared with produce from ZigBone Farm with access to fruit, snacks, coffee, and tea throughout the day
- Coming together at dinner to discuss your day´s work and experience
- Developing a supportive community of writers
Tentative Schedule for Fall Poetry Retreat
(all sessions optional)
Sunday: 4pm Arrival
5:30pm: Welcome! Reception and dinner from the wood-fired oven
Monday-Thursday
7:30am-9:30am: Breakfast Buffet
8:00am-8:30am: Optional meditation with focus on a contemplative poem
9:30am-11:30am: Poetry craft sessions, including discussion, prompts, free-writes, and sharing
12:30pm-4pm: Lunch and Free Writing Time (goals for this time will be discussed in morning sessions)
This also allows time for hikes, walks, naps, and community skill-sharing (yoga, art, etc.
4pm-6pm: Individual meetings with Ann Quinn*
6:30pm-7:30pm: Communal Farm Dinner
7:30pm-9pm: Optional Evening readings
Friday:
11am Departure: Wrap-Up & Final Sharing
*The retreat fee includes a 30-minute session with Ann to discuss your poetry. For an additional fee, Ann will provide feedback on individual manuscripts received before the workshop.
(all sessions optional)
Sunday: 4pm Arrival
5:30pm: Welcome! Reception and dinner from the wood-fired oven
Monday-Thursday
7:30am-9:30am: Breakfast Buffet
8:00am-8:30am: Optional meditation with focus on a contemplative poem
9:30am-11:30am: Poetry craft sessions, including discussion, prompts, free-writes, and sharing
12:30pm-4pm: Lunch and Free Writing Time (goals for this time will be discussed in morning sessions)
This also allows time for hikes, walks, naps, and community skill-sharing (yoga, art, etc.
4pm-6pm: Individual meetings with Ann Quinn*
6:30pm-7:30pm: Communal Farm Dinner
7:30pm-9pm: Optional Evening readings
Friday:
11am Departure: Wrap-Up & Final Sharing
*The retreat fee includes a 30-minute session with Ann to discuss your poetry. For an additional fee, Ann will provide feedback on individual manuscripts received before the workshop.
About Ann
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Ann Quinn has taught poetry for nearly a decade and as a late-comer to the art form, is especially interested in working with developing poets with their own rich life experiences. She is on the faculty at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, is a teaching artist for Yellow Arrow Publishing in Baltimore, has led workshops in Delaware, Maryland, Colorado, Washington, D.C., and Washington State, and has a dedicated following of students on Zoom! Her students have won contests, published books and chapbooks, and had poems featured in a great variety of literary and professional journals. https://www.annquinn.net/good-news-from-my-students
Ann’s work has been published in journals such as Poet Lore, Potomac Review, and others, and has been twice nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is the author of Final Deployment and co-wrote a book with one of her classes: Poetry is Life. She holds an MFA in poetry with a certificate in teaching from the Rainier Writers Workshop at Pacific Lutheran University. More information about Ann Quinn can be found at her website: https://www.annquinn.net/ |
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What Ann's Students Have to Say:
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"But poetry? I hadn't thought about it much since school days. That is, until I took Ann Quinn's poetry writing class. And then, the world changed. I was suddenly looking at the world differently, with everything from the simple to the complex, ordinary to extraordinary, as a potential poetry topic, using tools and techniques learned in the class. And the additional joy was sharing our writing assignments in class, each of us with a unique approach based on our life experiences, enhanced by Ann's thoughtful comments and guidance..."
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"Thank you for your poetry classes. You have a beautiful style of teaching that makes poetry accessible and easeful. Your classes are like poetry itself: carefully selected material, just the finest work, small bits easy to manage. On numerous occasions over the past five weeks, I have caught myself mentioning to others how much I have enjoyed your class.
Thank you for taking the time to share your craft and support students to join the poetry community. Thank you for caring about your students and offering us a warm smile and inspiration." - Heidi |
“Thank you so much for your skilled curation and guidance of our group’s poetry exploration these last weeks. Personally, it was just the thing I needed to rekindle the writing and observation practices that had been set aside for a while in my life."
- Marie |
"Thank you for leading our lovely community of poets. I saw Kay at Fran's book launch and we agree that you are superb at allowing each of our individual voices to shine. And I would add while creating a harmonious, inquisitive melody from our collective, much like a conductor.
Brava. I look forward to our next year of insightful sounds. - Lisa |
"Ann, thank you for making it feel safe for a non-poet. How I think this class will help me is to make my prose more descriptive and with a sharper edge. Also, the discussion of the poems challenges me to leave more space for the reader to interpret and make meaning.It was a lovely two hours.
- Mary |
