Susquehanna Valley Summer Writers Institute
Susquehanna Valley Summer Writers Institute: June 8-19, 2009
Welcome to the 2009 Susquehanna Valley Summer Writers Institute website! You can track our participants' progress here, looking at their Ruminations on the River.
In this year's Susquehanna Valley Summer Writers Institute, paid for by funds from the John Ben Snow Foundation, to be held June 8-19 at Bucknell University, 10 students will be accepted to receive stipends and room accomodations to work with Bucknell faculty in an experiential exploration of the Susquehanna Valley region, particularly the river confluence, to develop and workshop creative-nonfiction, fiction, and poetry to produce a portfolio of writing inspired by our journeys into the real and imagined Susquehanna Valley.
Institute Information
The Susquehanna Confluence, the region around the joining of the North and West Branches of the Susquehanna River, is of continental historical significance as the location of what was called "the capital of the eastern woodland Indians" and of settlements important to the early development of America, its industrialization, the presence of many cultures including historic African-American, Amish, and Eastern European communities, and now efforts to develop a more sustainable economic future.
The Susquehanna Valley Summer Writers Institute will include10 outstanding students who will participate in 10 days of discussion, excursions, guest lectures, and workshops in order to enhance their understanding of the region as well as to develop their writing skills. The goal is for participants to engage in interviewing and writing non-fiction, fiction, and poetry related to place, history and environment, activities which can be of use in working for non-profits and public-sector programs, in developing longer personal writing projects, in teaching writing, history and place studies, and in contracting freelance writing and consulting work in the developing "green collar" sector of the economy. Writing projects from the institute will be featured on a new website/zine on the region.
Participating students will be working with Bucknell faculty Alf Siewers, Katie Faull, and Carmen Gillespie to develop and workshop creative-nonfiction, fiction, and poety using a technique known as "deep mapping" (personal mapping of places)in as generated by our excursions into and explorations of the Susquehanna confluence region. The two weeks will include a day of kayaking on the river, field trips to historical and natural places of significance on the river including river towns, paths of the underground railroad and the coal region. Students will also have the pleasure of interacting with guest lecture, people from the community, and relevant texts and documentaries.
Application Information
Applicants will be invited to apply. Acceptance includes a stipend of $400.00 and room accomodations for the entirety of the Institute. Accepted participants must reside in assigned on campus, Bucknell housing for the entirety of the Institute and must participate in all activities and complete all writing work. All participants will receive a certificate of participation and feedback on their writing portfolios/projects.
Tentative Schedule
Sunday, June 7 — Arrival and check in 10— 3
Evening film: Susquehanna: Bygone Days on the Susquehanna
Monday, June 8
Orientation: “Writing the River”
Workshops: Creative Non Fiction, Fiction, Poetry
Tuesday, June 9
“Deep Mapping” | Alf Siewers
Afternoon Excursion
Wednesday, June 10
Susquehanna River Kayaking Trip
Thursday, June 11
“Tales of the Blue Hill” | Katie Faull
Afternoon Excursion
Friday, June 12
Danville and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon | Carmen Gillespie
Afternoon Excursion
Saturday, June 13
Free Writing Day
Sunday, June 13
Free Writing Day
Monday, June 14
Susquehanna Valley and the Underground Railroad | Carmen Gillespie
Afternoon Excursion
Tuesday, June 15
The Moravians | Katie Faull
Afternoon Excursion
Wednesday, June 16
Cooperstown Trip | Alf Siewers
Thursday, June 17
Portfolio Completion Day
Friday, June 18
Portfolio Presentations/Readings
Saturday, June 19
Morning Departures
Application
Click here to download the application.
