Writing Retreat at Bourbon Ridge
RDSP Writing Retreat • December 5-7
The experiment of the first ever RDSP writing retreat achieved fantastic results. DailyNightmare.com captured the true essence of the event here but this post covers the general events. There was a good balance of work and play, lots of writing was done and many great conversations were had.
The weekend kicked off with German apple cake to celebrate longtime RDSP supporter Emory Pueschel’s birthday. Everyone also received a red pen goody bag and a notepad for jotting ideas. We were extremely lucky to dine on skull pies baked by Janice Leach from WhyNotPie. There was triple berry mini skulls and a large cherry one both as delicious as they were cool looking. There was an impromptu mead tasting courtesy of home-brewer Jim Leach, the crowd favorite was Hearts of Darkness. Stephanie Wytovich baked two-headed gingerbread men and we all enjoyed a gigantic spaghetti and meatball dinner.
On Saturday Kealan Patrick Burke insisted that each participant read something they wrote. Janet Harriet kicked off the reading and every performance was amazing from Jessica McHugh’s Green Kangaroos to Lucy Snyder’s “I Fuck Your Sunshine,” the variety and talent was stunning. Experienced readers Gary Braunbeck, John Edward Lawson and Kealan Patrick Burke didn’t disappoint but even Emory Pueschel, who was doing his first ever reading, was superb.
Though it rained a lot of the time plenty of use was made of the 16 person hot tub. There was an epic late-night game of Cards Against Humanity that utilized the poker table and chips. We also enjoyed meeting more formally with Jim and Janice Leach and Sarah Hans to discuss current writing projects they are working on and give some advice. Overall it was a fabulous time and we hope to arrange a similar event at the same place in 2015.
Special thanks go to all the people who donated to our writing retreat scholarship so that an author who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend could come: Roger & Jeanne Barnes, Kriscinda Lee Everitt, Venessa Giunta, J.L. Gribble, Nikki Guerlain, Kimberly Lacey-Morning, Jim & Janice Leach, Stewie Pattee, Emory Pueschel, D. Harlan Wilson
