testimonials

“To become part of a place—and not simply visit it—and then to make art within that experience, that’s the gift of Writing Workshops in Greece.  Dedicated and accomplished teachers, themselves steeped in Greek language and culture as well as their own specialties, warmly inspire; local foods are lovingly prepared; ocean, beach, historic ruins amaze.  I find myself changed by the community created– more fully alive.  Besides, there’s fabulous music and dancing on Wednesday nights!”

“After being in workshops for two straight years in the MFA program, this is the structure I wanted. Life after MFA is scary and that’s exactly where I needed to be. For my writing and for my life. The excursions and cooking was a brilliant way to break up workshopping. Also, it gave us material to write about without even realizing. The entire workshop as a whole was invaluable.”

“I’ve lived in and travelled through different countries in my young adult life (as many in our cohort had), and while I’ve been touched by all of these places, this is the trip that changed my life. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know that it affected us in a way that goes beyond “learning to write better in a very beautiful location.” We weren’t tourists; we were family. I got something I didn’t know I needed. On a practical level, I was able to garner excellent feedback during workshop and published two pieces while overseas. I also gained material to write about for the rest of my life. But beyond that, I got spiritually wrecked, lost pieces of my heart, and felt like I’ve come home from war—not in the way that results from death and trauma—but rather, an over-abundance of life.”

“Deeply satisfying! The workshop was, for me, the perfect mix of structured class sessions and big chunks of free time for writing. Natalie was the ideal workshop instructor: perceptive, encouraging, full of very specific and individually-attuned ideas and suggestions for developing and shaping our pieces. She had excellent reading suggestions and writing prompts at the ready but was also very flexible in allowing each writer to do what she needed. We were lucky to have a cohort of serious, thoughtful writers who established trust quickly and went deep. I arrived with specific project goals and was thrilled to meet them.”