For a printable copy of the retreat below in a PDF format click here.

Creative Writing in Oaxaca, Mexico
Join Donna Hanelin & Heather Hutcheson for
What’s in a Place?
Creative Writing in Oaxaca, Mexico July 20 — 30, 2011


Guelaguetza Parade
(photo by Heather Hutcheson)

We will be offering What’s in a Place? a writing workshop in the city of Oaxaca (waHAka) for poets and writers of all levels. What’s in a Place? is a combination of classes with onsite writing, group feedback, and private time to write and to explore the city. July is a perfect month in Oaxaca with days in the 80s and cool at night and the surrounding mountains green from summer showers.
 
What’s in a Place?
Everything! Nothing! Where do you live? What does this mean for the stories you write? When you leap into your story or poem, where are you? How do you find your place?  And when you get there, what’s in the place? Is there room for the reader in your place?
 
We’ll write and revise, paying attention to how we bring the outside into our work—and how we take the inner feelings out of our selves. How much do we want of inner and outer life? Living in a foreign place is the best way to clear the slate, to see place without the usual attachments and to re-experience the vital needs and workings of the imagination.
 
We’ll be meeting during the Guelaguetza, the regional dances of the state of Oaxaca, a time when the city is yet more festive than usual, the finest clothes and crafts are on display and music, dancers and fireworks fill the streets. There are sixteen indigenous groups in the state of Oaxaca, each with their own traditions, clothing, and language (each with many dialects)—during the Guelaguetza you will have a chance to sample some of this remarkable and rich diversity.

Guelaguetza - San Antonino
(photo by Heather Hutcheson)

Donna and Heather
Donna taught creative writing and performed her poetry and prose for twenty years in the Sacramento area. Since 1997, she has been leading writing retreats in Mexico. She is the author of  And I You  and is presently working on You Jump to Water, a handmade book of  poetry. Donna now lives and writes in the city of Oaxaca.Heather is a tenured Professor of English at Cosumnes River College. She edits the Cosumnes River Journal, hosts a reading series, and organizes an annual memoir conference.  A former journalist for The Desert Sentinel and The Atascadero News—and contributor to numerous publications—Heather is a nationally-published award-winning writer. Both women are devoted to the art of writing as well as of teaching. What’s in a Place? is limited to ten participants to leave time and space to address individual concerns and interests.

Dates
Wednesday, July 20 is Arrival Day; classes begin on the morning of July 21. Friday, July 30 is Departure Day; final meeting is in the evening of July 29

Retreat Host/Lodging

Casa Panchita

Casa Panchita, a lovely, tranquil B & B guesthouse just north of the centralhistorical district, is our host for What’s in a Place? The Casa has sixart-filled bedrooms,verandahs, a swimming pool, beautiful grounds with a view of the mountains and an excellent cook. We will fill the Casa on a first come, first served basis, double occupancy preferred. Rates at Casa Panchita include a full breakfast. US$500 per person for all ten nights, double occupancy. US$250 additional for single occupancy. If you need a roommate, tell us. You may also book your own accommodations in the city of Oaxaca. To reserve your room at Casa Panchita, please contact Donna as soon as possible.

 
Casa Panchita - Guest Room

Registration and Payment Information
$625 Fee includes the workshop and materials, private consultation with Donna or Heather, dinners July 20 & July 29, orientation tour of the city, writing excursions to the ruins of Monte Alban and La Encantada (an orchid  garden), and Guelaguetza (regional dances) in an outlying village. Fee does not include airfare, lodging or meals except as listed.
 
To reserve your place today, please complete the application and mail with $50 deposit payable to:  Heather Hutcheson, 8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento, CA 95823.
 
Or use Paypal to pay by credit card. Contact Heather for more information.
You will receive email confirmation of your participation.
Early fee of $625 (less deposit) is due by May 14.
After May 14, the fee is $700 (less deposit).
50% refunds will be granted after June 1.

For a printable application for the Creative Writing in Oaxaca, Mexico July 20 - 30, 2011 click here.

Donna:donna@creativewritingclasses.us , 559-840-3527
Heather:hutcheh@crc.losrios.edu, 916-691-7492
Fax: 916-691-7295

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Guelaguetza - Seniors
(photo by Heather Hutcheson)

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“Lonely Planet” has named Oaxaca one of the top ten regions to visit in 2010! Taking 2,500 years of indigenous history, adding a splash of Spanish colonialism mixed with contemporary progressive politics and art, and presto!, you’ve got Oaxaca, one of Mexico’s most cultured and colorful states. The capital, Oaxaca City, is a postcard-pretty charmer, with a tree-shaded town square surrounded by colonial churches and outdoor cafes, and cobblestone streets lined with craft markets and galleries….We’ve always known at Lonely Planet that Oaxaca is special with its green mountain vistas, tradition-rich indigenous enclaves, vibrant handicrafts, festivals and contemporary art…

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Oaxaca City

Note: Click on photos for an enlarged version.

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Photos of Oaxaca by Hank Meals, Bruce Rawles and Nancy Bolton-Rawles.
For prints and reprint info:
Hank: email hmeals@nccn.net.
Bruce or Nancy: email: