The Ministry of Writing Colloquium

by Linda Mann

Editor's note: What follows is an extended version of student Linda Mann's report from the Ministry of Writing Colloquium. The abbreviated version appears in the current issue of ESR Reports.

During each season of the year, ESR hosts at least one special retreat or conference. My favorite, an annual Writing Colloquium, is held during late October. It's a nice opportunity to be with others who enjoy the craft of writing. This year I realized that I feel excited traveling to the Colloquium, anticipating the richness of the day, and looking forward to insights and inspiration. Those are gifts I have received from keynote speakers, workshop leaders and other participants. Some of these are from the Meeting I attend thirty miles away, and some are from across the country.

When you register for the day, you can choose two workshops to attend from a list of several. Some of the workshops offer concrete steps for those who are sending writing to editors. There are opportunities to submit writing samples prior to the Colloquium so written feedback is available from the speaker or other experienced writers. Other workshops explore the way to develop experiences into various types of writing. It's nice because there is a comfortable blend of people who have been published, those who hope to soon be, and those who plan to continue writing for personal development and enjoyment. ESR students who are in the Ministry of Writing program also shared this year in the evenings before and after the day of workshops. Absent are the pretensions that might deter a novice, and make it less enjoyable for all. This may be at least partly due to the humor of those who have been planning the Colloquium for years.

This year Scott Russell Sanders was one of the keynote speakers. He reminded the audience that writing is at its best when it is a process of discovery: "If there is no surprise in the writer, there is no surprise in the reader." Sanders is an essayist, and children's book author who has been writing for many years. He described for us how to allow our curiosity and authentic places of questioning to unfold in our writing. While I hadn't considered it so consciously, I think I had assumed that it was the writer's responsibility to know just where the piece is headed. Scott showed us how he exposed this kind of vulnerability in an essay he wrote about hiking with his young son.

There were two other authors featured this year as keynote speakers, Pat Schneider and Haven Kimmel. Pat inspired me through her conversation about teaching writing to low-income individuals who are seeking more education, including women who are attempting to build skills for better employment. Pat coaxed our workshop group into spontaneous poetry writing, and offered follow-up exercises. Haven Kimmel, author of Zippy, spoke about Healing Fictions. She explained how voice, perspective and vision set the tone for her autobiographical best seller. She credited ESR Professor, Tom Mullen, with helping her see the need to develop the child's voice in Zippy. She brought a warm and encouraging spirit to other writers.

Each year, I meet people from other states, some who are attending for the first time. They have learned about the Colloquium through a friend, or a website. Full from the multiple ideas and conversations, many of us leave with an autographed book we've purchased for gift-giving or personal libraries. Presenting and attending writers often sell copies of their books in the one-day bookstore. This year, Colloquium coordinator and Writing instructor, Peter Anderson, ended the day by announcing the winner of an ESR writing scholarship for the upcoming semester. I am already looking forward to next October.