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FOR MUCH MORE INFO about Joyce's Lake Atitlan workshops (how to get there, what to bring, how workshops will be run), email Joyce and she'll send you the complete Lake Atitlan Information Package (by email).
NEW Want to experience this escape for yourself? You can rent Joyce's house.
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COMING UP: Lake Atitlan Writing Workshop, February 7-14, 2009
Bios: For my annual February workshop, twenty seven Americans -- ages 20-69 -- joined me, my co-instructor, Bob Bausch, and well-known poet, Jane Hirshfield, on the shores of the lake, for seven days many called among the most inspiring of their lives. It fills me with happiness to announce that we'll be gathering at the lake again -- this time, during the summer -- July 5-13, 2008. Joining me will be writers Ann Hood, and Craig Holden. Those dates sound a long way off, but I wanted to let you know about the workshops early, to give you time to plan. And though no picture can adequately convey what it's like to be writing and sharing work as we do over the course of the workshop week -- I wanted to show you photographs of last winter's workshop -- our sunrise saunas and swims (only for the hardy), morning yoga, workshops under the bouganvillea, beautiful, healthy meals, breathtaking hikes, friendship, laughter, dancing and guacamole. For some who attend, the week is a chance for quiet time to work on a project. For others, it's a time (equally valuable) to think, and to process the lessons of the morning workshops. You'll work hard, but you'll also experience something very hard come by in our fast paced North American culture: stillness and quiet, and the chance to listen to your own thoughts. Most who come to San Marcos have told me, afterwards, that the experience changed their writing in important ways. A few say that it changed their lives.
There's an abundance of great writing workshops being offered these days, but I think this one's unique -- in part for the location I've chosen -- a spot the writer Aldous Huxley described as “the most beautiful place on earth," and one that seems almost magically invested with a peaceful, healing energy. Years of accomplishing some of my own best writing at Lake Atitlan taught me a powerful lesson: namely, the value to be had from leaving one's familiar circumstances (even one's own country, and family, friends, car, cable television, constantly accessible email) and landing in a place some of us would call primitive. Coming to the lake, you may discover parts of yourself you didn't know were there, or ones too long dormant. I've heard many say they slept better at the lake than they had, in years. I know I've done some of my best writing and thinking there. And
as much as I hope you will come to know and love the lake, and Mayan culture,
and our wonderful vegetarian meals (augmented with fish, meat and chicken
for those who can't kick the habit) the point here is first of all, your
writing. As some of you know, in addition to maintaining my own writing
career, it is an ongoing love of mine, and privilege, to help other writers
at all stages of their writing lives in telling their stories. That includes
those of you who may not have written anything for years, or ever, outside
of school. If you're nervous or shy or insecure about this, you won't
be the first one to express those feelings. So I'll just say (knowing
that Ann and Craig would agree): The only thing a person needs, as a prerequisite
for working with me, is the desire to explore his or her story, and a
willingness to look unblinkingly at what our lives have been about. In the months before we gather, you'll receive my What You Need to Know packet, with information both about traveling to Guatemala -- booking flights, weather (perfect) what to bring -- and about the workshop itself. I ask every student in my memoir workshops to send me hard copy of a work of personal narrative -- an essay or chapter from a longer work, up to 3000 words in length. I'll soon have updated information concerning what will be required of you from Ann and Craig. (You may also email Craig from his website to receive a full course description.) For starters, you'll want to study the Lake Atitlan Information packet, in which I attempt to respond to every question I've ever been asked about coming to Guatemala, and to my workshops. But if questions remain, you can always drop a note to me, or to my trusty right hand woman, Dita Zakova (originally from Prague, but now living full-time in San Marcos with her artist husband Miguel and their daughter, Tara.)
As the date of the workshop approaches, you'll be hearing from Dita, asking about your housing preferences, dietary needs, and other questions designed to help us make your week with us the best possible. We also make sure we have everyone's flight information. We'll be filling you in on two different options for the workshop: You can either join up with the group for a day and a night in the beautiful town of Antigua, and head together by minivan to the lake the next day, or fly in later, foregoing Antigua, and travel direct from the airport to the lake. (Several english-speaking members of the workshop staff will be escorting my guests to the lake, in minivans. It's a long trip over the mountains -- two and a half hours -- but a fascinating introduction to Guatemala, and we'll be sure to have snacks and drinking water on board for you.) Once in San Marcos, you'll be escorted by one of our trusty team of local helpers -- a wonderful group known as Jovenes Mayas -- to your hotel room to rest up, shower, and join the group for our introductory session, followed by cocktails and dinner, at the spot that will serve as our home base all week: the beautiful Eco-lodge of my friend Benjamin Herrarte, La Paz. Originally from Guatemala City, Benjamin first came to San Marcos twenty years ago after a successful career as a fashion designer in New York City to build La Paz, where the kitchen serves delicious organic meals and the gardens are among the most beautiful you'll see on the lake -- a model of sustainable green building and business. We're enormously lucky to have the full use of his eco-lodge for the week, for our workshops, meals, gatherings and yoga. Next morning, we meet for breakfast and great locally grown coffee (with early risers joining before hand for yoga or swimming). After breakfast we'll get to work for the first of six days of workshop time. Each student will have his or her writing workshopped either byBob or Jane or myself, but you will be free to attend workshops given by any of us, over the course of the week. Or to spend your time writing, in any of a hundred beautiful secluded spots around La Paz and on the shores of the lake.
In your free time, you can also can sign up for any number of wonderful and very reasonably-priced treatments -- massage, reiki, reflexology, sound healing, to name a few. We'll also be arranging hikes and visits to local sites for those interested in learning more about Mayan culture. And of course, you are always free to swim, kayak, hop on the boat to check out other villages, visit weavers, shop for crafts. (And for those of you who may be attending with a with a non-writing spouse or partner, we'll have plenty of suggestions for activities, though your non-writing partner is welcome to join us for breakfast and evening activities.) We reconvene nightly for drinks and dinner, followed by readings of student work by the fire. Some nights, we may head over to the local blues club for music and dancing, but you are also likely to be pretty exhausted by day's end. On three of the nights,
we'll be dining at local restaurants together. The last night we celebrate
with a party at my house, with midnight swimming and sauna for those who
want to see the best view of stars ever. And fireflies. Next morning, I ‘ll see you off on the boat. (You'll ride the minivan back to the airport, unless -- like a couple of our students this past February -- you decide you simply can't leave yet, and stay on .) I should add here that as sad as it always is, to say goodbye, members of these workshops seem to have a way of staying in touch, sharing work and visiting for months -- even years -- after we part. Several students have now returned or are returning for a second time. There's much more to say about all of this, of course. If you're interested in attending, but have specific questions, I encourage you to write to me. (And for all of you who may have concerns about safety, I'll just say now that while parts of Guatemala have a deservedly sketchy reputation, Lake Atitlan is definitely not one of them. I feel safer in the village of San Marcos than I do, almost anyplace on earth. We take great care of all our students, as you will see, if you read the testimonials here.
The stay in Antigua,
though highly recommended, adds another night to your trip, and extra
expense of another night's hotel stay, walking tour, and transportation
expenses. For those who choose to forego Antigua, the workshop costs are
less, of course. Without Antigua stay, tuition cost is $1900-2400 depending
on housing choices. Add on $270 for a night in Antigua with dinner, breakfast,
market visit and lunch included. $100 discount for early reservation and
full payment by April 5. Workshop tuition covers seven (or, for Antigua guests, eight) nights of hotel accommodation, all breakfasts, five dinners, transportation to Lake Atitlan from either Antigua or the Guatemala City airport, boat rides, daily writing workshops, private conference and manuscript evaluation. Not covered: lunches, massages, morning yoga classes, body work, liquor, gratuitites. Housing: Depending on the size of the group and the number of writers interested in participating, lodging will be in one or two of a number of charming colonial hotels –formerly private homes, with beautiful courtyard gardens and traditional Spanish style architechture. All hotel accommodations will be charming and of course clean. At the high end of the scale, those who express an interest may be booked in the very beautiful Panza Verde or Casa Santo Domingo -- two of the most beautiful hotels I've ever seen. [an error occurred while processing this directive] To secure your place, send half payment to Joyce Maynard, 500 Edgewood Ave, Mill Valley, Ca. 94941, and email Joyce to reserve your place. $100 discount for registering with full payment by April 5. Your deposit is refundable, less a $50 processing fee, up until two months before commencement of the workshop. Final installment is due by June 1. A more detailed description of housing options (from more bargain-priced shared bath option -- clean and sweet but simple -- to a deluxe top-of-the-world suite with balcony and solar hot tub) will be included in the information packet you may request from Joyce. A few partial scholarships will be available. Finally, I hope you'll take a few minutes to read what past participants in the Lake Atitlan Writing Workshop had to say about their experience. I promise to do everything I can to make our next workshop equally inspiring. I'd love to see you there.
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