events

The Sun in California

Into the Fire: The Sun Celebrates Personal Writing
Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California
October 22 – October 24, 2010  

Program Description

Into the Fire
The Sun Magazine Celebrates Personal Writing

To write about ourselves in a way that touches others and reminds them of our fundamental connectedness we must be willing to take a leap — with all our passion, fear, and longing — into the fire. And that fire is not just a metaphor. It’s as real as our own mysterious existence; as real as a painful moment that has broken, and maybe opened, our hearts.

For thirty-six years The Sun has published the kind of brave, revealing writing that lives up to the magazine’s motto, a line from concentration-camp survivor Viktor Frankl: “What is to give light must endure burning.” We invite you to join Sun readers, authors, and staff — including editor and publisher Sy Safransky — for a weekend of investigating our lives through the written word. The Sun will come to life in a retreat that mirrors the magazine’s format. We’ll discuss essays, fiction, and poems with their authors, who will lead exercises geared to bring forth similar elements in your own writing. Readers Write–style writing sessions will help get your pen moving. (You don’t have to be a writer to attend. Our aim is simply to create a space in which people can tell their stories from the heart.) The weekend will conclude with Sy Safransky reading from his Notebook and all of us sharing our favorite quotations at a Sunbeams open mic.

Of course, the best part of a Sun gathering is getting to meet everyone: staff, writers, and other people who love the magazine and share its compassionate, unflinching view of the world. We hope you’ll join us.

A large enrollment is expected; we recommend registering early.

Authors Scheduled To Appear

Ellen BassEllen Bass’s poetry books include The Human Line (Copper Canyon Press) and Mules of Love (BOA Editions), and she’s coauthor of The Courage to Heal (HarperCollins). She teaches in Pacific University’s MFA program and in locations around the world.

Stephen ElliottStephen Elliott is the author of seven books, most recently a memoir titled The Adderall Diaries (Graywolf Press). His first publication was in The Sun.

Pat MacEnultyPat MacEnulty is the author of four novels and a collection of short stories. Her memoir An American Requiem will be published in 2011 by the Feminist Press. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tallahassee, Florida, and likes to conduct writing workshops in a variety of venues, from prisons to universities.

Sy SafranskySy Safransky is editor and publisher of The Sun.

Michael ShapiroMichael Shapiro is the author of A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk about Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration (Travelers’ Tales) and Guatemala: A Journey through the Land of the Maya (Purple Moon Publications). His writing has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Ode, and the Washington Post. He interviewed Studs Terkel and Barry Lopez for The Sun.

Cheryl StrayedCheryl Strayed is the author of the novel Torch (Houghton Mifflin) and the forthcoming memoir Wild (Knopf). Her work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and Best American Essays (Mariner Books). She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Schedule of Events

Note: Schedule is subject to change. Workshop topics will be announced soon.


Friday

Registration, 4–6 p.m.    
Dinner, 6–7:30 p.m. 
Orientation for first-time Esalen visitors, 7:45 p.m. 

Opening Session, Dance Dome, 8:30–10:30 p.m.

Welcome and Orientation
Contributors Notes (introductions, please see what to bring)
Author Reading and Discussion


Saturday

Breakfast, 8:30–9:45 a.m.

Workshops, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (topics to be announced, schedule is subject to change)

Lunch, 12:30–2:45 p.m.  
followed by time on your own

Workshops, 3–6:15 p.m.

Dinner, 6:30–7:45 p.m.

Workshops, 8–9:30 p.m.


Sunday

Breakfast, 8–9 a.m.

Digging the Well, Dance Dome, 9:15–10 a.m.
Panelists: Ellen Bass, Stephen Elliott, Pat MacEnulty, Sy Safransky, Michael Shapiro, Cheryl Strayed
Moderated by Angela Winter
The authors will discuss their individual writing practices and share ideas for stimulating creativity and inspiration or just developing the discipline to sit down with pen and paper or laptop. What methods work best for getting started and staying the course? How can you avoid distraction and manage your time?

Sy Safransky’s Notebook, Dance Dome, 10:00–10:45 a.m.
Sy will read from his Notebook, talk about his writing practice, and discuss how he approaches revising his own work versus the writing of magazine contributors. He’ll discuss the evolution of his writing as well as The Sun as a magazine, and he’ll answer your questions.

Sunbeams Open Mic and Closing Session, Dance Dome, 11:00 a.m.–12 p.m.
Participants are invited to bring their favorite quotations to read aloud. Everyone will get to read a quote or two, time permitting. Then we’ll wrap up and make our goodbyes.


Brunch, 12:15–1:30 p.m.

Departure

Location

Esalen Institute, 55000 Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920, (831) 667-3005, info@esalen.org.

Esalen is situated on twenty-seven acres of spectacular Big Sur coastline with the Santa Lucia Mountains rising sharply behind. The institute is known for its blend of Eastern and Western philosophies, and its offerings include access to natural hot springs, a massage area, and a swimming pool. (Swimsuits are optional and nudity is common in these areas.)

Registration and Cost

Cost: Esalen’s weekend cost is based on the type of lodging you select; it includes tuition, meals, and accommodations. For details, visit Esalen’s Reservation Information page.

Registration: Call Esalen at (831) 667-3005, or register online.

What To Bring

Please bring the following items with you to Esalen:

  • A notebook or journal in which to write.
  • Your favorite pen or pencil.
  • Your bio written in the form of a contributor’s note — 40 words maximum. See The Sun’s inside front cover for examples. Since we’re all contributors for the weekend, we’ll read our notes aloud during the introductions on Friday night.

    To help you get started, here’s what we ask Sun contributors to consider as they write their notes:
    In addition to the usual information — where you live, your occupation, any previous publications — tell us something unique about you. What are your hobbies, pet projects, bad habits? What are you most proud of, or most embarrassed by? Is there something special about where you live, or with whom you live? Or think of one or two things about yourself that are not true of anyone else you know, and tell us what they are.

    Please note: The 40-word limit is strict.
  • One or more of your favorite quotations spoken or written by someone else. We’ll end the weekend with a Sunbeams open mic. Everyone will get to read a quote or two, time permitting.
  • Esalen recommends that you bring: a flashlight, ear plugs, comfortable shoes, an alarm clock, and casual, layered clothes for 40-70 degree weather.

Praise from Past Participants

“That the sensitivity and subtle power of The Sun could be personified in a group workshop was a revelation.”

J.L.

“I had no real expectations, but lots of anxiety as the retreat approached: fear that I’d feel like an imposter, that I wouldn’t fit in, and worst of all, that my childhood dream of being a writer would be demolished by reality. From my first meeting with the other participants, I knew it was going to be OK. There we were: people from all over the country; all wannabe writers, all in love with The Sun. From that moment on, I was home free.”

E.R.

“Thank you for a much-needed dose of inspiration!”

D.M.

“I was amazed by the strong emotional connections I made with others in such a short period of time.”

N.F.

“What I discovered is that writers are people with feelings of inadequacy, of tenderness and rage — just like everyone else. And what struck my heart was the willingness of retreat participants and leaders to be vulnerable and raw; the willingness to pull out the trembling, tangled response to one’s life and lay it onto paper; the willingness to be seen.”

S.T.

“I especially liked how the participants weren’t all writers or all readers but a delightful cross section of interesting people who take pleasure in The Sun as I do.”

B.L.

“The authors were not just wonderful writers but effective facilitators and leaders. And we were kept writing and listening, which is exactly what I wanted and needed. The retreat gave me the jump-start I was hoping for.”

C.R.

“I’m a sensitive-artist type, and the academic workshops I’ve attended in the past have consistently been pretty traumatic experiences. My writing output actually declined as a result of those workshops. When I left The Sun’s retreat, I felt excited and ready to write more.”

K.H.

“To say that the workshop leaders, including Sy Safransky, were ‘approachable’ would be a gross understatement. Whether it was during the workshops or at mealtime, these incredible people talked with us, answered our questions, even asked us questions. Their generosity, their humility, and their humanity left me in awe. I have never been at a gathering with so many kindhearted and genuine people. Each conversation was sincere, and each small group discussion insightful. I smiled a lot, I laughed a lot, and a tear found its way out of my eye, too.”

T.K.