In-Person Events
A couple of times each year, we gather together in person. Here are two opportunities in Spring 2026.
Illumination in the Dark Corner: Creating and Communicating a Southern Appalachian Sense of Place
March 25-26, 2026, Lake Jocassee, South Carolina
Join Writing the Wild's J. Drew Lanham and Kay Cobb Wade and Brooks Wade of Jocassee Lake Tours, on March 25-26, 2026, for a collaborative, creative excursion. We’ll take a Soul School circle onto Lake Jocassee, a cold deep-water lake sitting on the Blue Ridge Escarpment of South Carolina. Late March should be full of bird song and the wild wonders of a Southern Appalachian Spring. We'll use wandering prompts to build poetry and lyrical prose and/or create by paint, photo, or sketching to tell wild stories. Our objective will be to bring natural inspiration to personal creative reflection with a blend of art, science and kinship. The day will include time aboard Jocassee Lake Tour's safe and ultra-stable pontoon boats captained by trained and experienced staff naturalists. We'll visit waterfalls, hike a few short trails and let wild immersion be your inspiration and guide in this one-of-a-kind creative workshop! Bring your writing tools, binoculars and heart prepared to sense and express the wonder of South Carolina's "Dark Corner."
A Writing the Wild Excursion
June 5-6, 2026
Hosted by the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, WI
Registration is first-come, first-served. The retreat will be capped at 20 participants.
Schedule
Friday: 10am-8:30pm CT (lunch and dinner provided)
Saturday: 9am-4pm CT (lunch provided)
Your retreat guides
This retreat will be guided by Krissy Kludt and J. Drew Lanham alongside guest listeners Michael Kleber-Diggs, Heather Swan, and Nicholas Triolo, with additional guidance from Pitāēpanuhkiw Lucy Grignon, Aldo Leopold Foundation staff, nourishment from Erin Hilgendorf, and support from Amie Adams. (Learn more about your guides here.)
What to expect
We call this a Writers' Retreat, not a writing retreat, because it's more about connection—with one another and the land—than about putting pen to paper. Our hope is that embodied, connective time together will inspire much writing—it's seeding-time for future work. It's nourishment. The retreat will include both large-and small-group conversation, a tour of Aldo Leopold's shack and learning about his life and legacy, a practice for connecting with the land guided by Pitāēpanuhkiw Lucy Grignon, and a celebratory final reading with space for all to share. (Reading signups will be sent ahead of time)
Writers’ Retreat
