The Well of Wisdom
For writers of fiction, creative non-fiction, poets,
and visual artists who work with words.
Spend a full week in Roscommon, Ireland.
Imagination-sparking workshops begin and end each day.
The retreat allows a deep dive into your work,
with an uninterrupted 7 hours each day.
According to stories in the Fenian Cycle, which tell of the youth of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, once there was a salmon swimming in the Well of Wisdom.
She ate nine hazelnuts, one from each of the wise trees surrounding the well, giving her all the knowledge in the world.
The first person to eat this salmon would have the knowledge passed to them.
After years trying, a wizard-poet finally caught the fish, and ordered his servant, Fionn, to fry it up. Testing the roasting fish to see if it was done, Fionn burnt his finger and stuck it in his mouth. Immediately he gained all the wisdom of the world.
This week in Ireland, we will explore our own work for hazelnuts of wisdom.
The Monday Tour -
Newgrange and a ramble along the Northeast Coast
Generative Workshops with Cait Weiss Orcutt
Every morning, we will meet for optional generative workshops. “Generative” workshops are meant to inspire you. You come as you are and create whatever rises to meet you. Together, we will read a poem or a short piece of prose together, briefly discuss how it works, and then pick up those tools (via Cait’s detailed prompts) to use in our own writing. We will write for a bit (10-30 minutes), then share what we’ve come up with.
Writing invites us to pay attention to what was, what is, and what could be. Our morning workshops will prime you for whatever the rest of your day in Roscommon holds, be it diving deep into your own creative world or venturing out to explore the one outside.
Cait Weiss Orcutt is the author of VALLEYSPEAK, winner of the 2017 Zone 3 First Book Prize. She holds an MFA from The Ohio State University and a PhD from the University of Houston in English Literature and Creative Writing. Her essays and poems have appeared in Boston Review, Bust Magazine, Chautauqua, FIELD, The Pinch, The Academy of American Poets and more. Cait leads poetry and creative nonfiction writing workshops centered on identity, history, intersectionality and healing.
Generative Playshops with Alison Wistar James
Late each afternoon, after a full day of writing, Alison will lead the group in a playful activity in order to release our expectations and open invisible windows into the corners of our imagination. We’ll explore meditative body movements, and entertain ourselves with colors. We’ll collage characters, and set scenes in texture. These short sessions will open our minds to new possibilities and untangle stuck places with unexpected results. This is harvesting hazelnuts of wisdom.
Alison James has written and translated over 150 books for children including her recent picture book, Maple and Rosemary, illustrated by Jennifer Mann, and published by Neal Porter Books. Her middle-grade novel, Hunt for Shadowclaw will soon be published by Charlesbridge. Alison has lived in many countries: Pakistan, England, Sweden, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. She studied languages and literature at Vassar and got her graduate degree from the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons. Alison and her partner run training camps for young enchanters and an outdoor forest school from their grass-roofed cottage in northern Vermont.
The Abbey Hotel, Roscommon, Ireland
What makes this place so perfect is that it is not on the tourist circuit. Roscommon is in the centre of Ireland, and very easy to get to. It is a quiet town with galleries, cafes, pubs, and a bit of history to dip into.
But nothing need detract us from the intention of the week: creating powerful works of art. It will be November, so the weather will also be conducive to turning inward and finding hours and hours of deep focused time.
Bring a work in progress, or use the generative workshops to open a rich new vein of creativity.
The rooms are lovely, comfortable and sparkling. The beds are deep-sleep provoking.
Working in your room for hours is easy and inviting, but there are also common areas where you can go for a change of pace. There is a fireplace in the lounge area where you can keep your cup of tea hot while you write.
The meals range from Irish comfort food to creative culinary delights. Bright flavors, and fresh, delicious ingredients.
Included in our rate is a seven nights in a comfortable single room with full Irish buffet breakfasts, Also included are the first and the final evening formal dinners. There are many choices of restaurants in t
And then, there’s the spa. With a full pool and a hot tub at its side, there is also a steam room, sauna and a cold dip bath.
This spa is just the right touch to ease into Irish local time, last thing before bed, melt in the steam and then slip into bed.
Logistics
Travel:
Fly into Dublin. There is an easy express bus to the city right outside the terminal that will take you to Houston Station. You can get tickets on Irish Rail to book a train to Roscommon. The average cost of the train ticket is $20. In Roscommon, the Abbey Hotel is just down the road and across the street, a two-minute walk.
Cost:
Room and board for 7 nights at Abbey Hotel: 800 euros. Most people have singles, but if you choose to share a room, please inquire. Meals include all breakfasts as well as first and last dinners. Meals and room payments are done directly with the hotel. You will get instructions how to get this generous rate after registering online.
The journey to Newgrange and the Northeast coast on Monday is optional. The cost will be around $100, and will include entrance to the extraordinary neolithic site, as well as transportation in a comfortable coach.
Tuition is $650. A $350 PayPal deposit is due upon registration, and refundable until July 15th. The final payment is due by September 1st. You can pay by check, Venmo or bank transfer. Checks can be written to Treewild, 338 Thompson Road, Shelburne, VT 05482. Send a note for Venmo or bank transfer details.
Ireland Artist Retreat
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