Please Help Me Get to Bread Loaf
Donation protected
Dear Friends, Family, Colleagues, Writers, and Curious Visitors,
A few weeks ago, I learned that I was accepted into Bread Loaf Writers' Conference as a general contributor in poetry. The conference takes place from August 13-23. I am excited, nervous, and extremely honored to have this opportunity! But in order to get there, I must pay the tuition which is a little bit steep. So, as humbly as I can, I am asking for your help and support. A monetary boost, so to speak.
But what is Bread Loaf?
Bread Loaf is the oldest writing conference in the country, located among the rolling Green Mountains in Ripton, Vermont. It dates back to 1926, years before the advent of MFA programs, degrees, and rigorous study in the field of writing. It was Robert Frost, however, who spearheaded the notion of having a "writing conference" after he fell in love with the idealistic setting. Frost is the "godfather" of Bread Loaf and returned for many years thereafter.
Over the years, those who have taught there include: W.H. Auden, Robert Hayden, Wallace Stegner, William Carlos Williams, John Irving, Maxine Kumin, Grace Paley, Mark Strand, plus more. Those who studied there in their early writing careers include: Rita Dove, Amy Hempel, Toni Morrison, Tim O'Brien, Anne Sexton, May Swenson, Eudora Welty, plus many more. It's overwhelming to be invited to the same place where so many wonderful writers spent time honing their craft and whose words live on in the air and walls. And aside from writing workshops and one-on-one conversations with workshop leaders, the conference is jam-packed with readings, lectures about craft, and opportunities to meet with editors and agents from various publishers. And this year, Natasha Trethewey, the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2012-2014 and one of my favorite poets, will be teaching there! I'm stoked!
You should absolutely check out the website for a more detailed account of the history and background of Bread Loaf!
http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc
Why should I donate? Where are my Benjamins going?
I am currently at that awkward and inconvenient (but also convenient) moment of being in-between teaching jobs while also searching for other work. Of course, that actually makes the timing for the conference pretty ideal. The timing couldn't be more perfect! Unfortunately, the financial aspect of it isn't so ideal. That's where you come in.
Your donation will go directly into the tuition and room and board that I will owe in order to attend. The total is $2,935, and I only listed $1,500 as my goal for this fundraiser because I think I'll be alright with the rest. But $1,500 is just over half, and that will be an enormous boost. It will alleviate some of the financial load. (I'm not yet sure when it's due. Mid-July, I think).
Is there something I might get in return?
Other than my enduring, everlasting gratitude, there are numerical amounts from which to choose that will award you particular prizes in return, all of which are hand-made or crafted by me to some degree and all of which absolutely include a hand-written thank-you note. Of course, you may opt out of a prize and choose a different amount. That's okay, too!
What are you working on and how will the conference help?
In a nutshell, I want to eventually expand my graduate poetry thesis into a manuscript for a first collection. But not in its current state. It needs a lot of work and a lot of revision. So, I'm currently writing new poems that I possibly see fitting in the fabric of the collection, and I'm revising old ones, as well. Bread Loaf is important because I will gain new colleagues and voices that will help me shape my perspective and vision for my work. I've been away from workshops long enough, and I'm hoping that the conference will rejuvinate, jumpstart, and challenge my writing in new ways.
I'm looking forward to being a loafer. (Yes, loafer). Can you help? Any donation, no matter how small, will undoubetly help. And if you cannot donate, I understand. Maybe just share this page so that others might see it, too?
I so appreciate your consideration and support, and I look forward to sharing my experience!
Humbly and gratefully,
Rachel
A few weeks ago, I learned that I was accepted into Bread Loaf Writers' Conference as a general contributor in poetry. The conference takes place from August 13-23. I am excited, nervous, and extremely honored to have this opportunity! But in order to get there, I must pay the tuition which is a little bit steep. So, as humbly as I can, I am asking for your help and support. A monetary boost, so to speak.
But what is Bread Loaf?
Bread Loaf is the oldest writing conference in the country, located among the rolling Green Mountains in Ripton, Vermont. It dates back to 1926, years before the advent of MFA programs, degrees, and rigorous study in the field of writing. It was Robert Frost, however, who spearheaded the notion of having a "writing conference" after he fell in love with the idealistic setting. Frost is the "godfather" of Bread Loaf and returned for many years thereafter.
Over the years, those who have taught there include: W.H. Auden, Robert Hayden, Wallace Stegner, William Carlos Williams, John Irving, Maxine Kumin, Grace Paley, Mark Strand, plus more. Those who studied there in their early writing careers include: Rita Dove, Amy Hempel, Toni Morrison, Tim O'Brien, Anne Sexton, May Swenson, Eudora Welty, plus many more. It's overwhelming to be invited to the same place where so many wonderful writers spent time honing their craft and whose words live on in the air and walls. And aside from writing workshops and one-on-one conversations with workshop leaders, the conference is jam-packed with readings, lectures about craft, and opportunities to meet with editors and agents from various publishers. And this year, Natasha Trethewey, the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2012-2014 and one of my favorite poets, will be teaching there! I'm stoked!
You should absolutely check out the website for a more detailed account of the history and background of Bread Loaf!
http://www.middlebury.edu/blwc
Why should I donate? Where are my Benjamins going?
I am currently at that awkward and inconvenient (but also convenient) moment of being in-between teaching jobs while also searching for other work. Of course, that actually makes the timing for the conference pretty ideal. The timing couldn't be more perfect! Unfortunately, the financial aspect of it isn't so ideal. That's where you come in.
Your donation will go directly into the tuition and room and board that I will owe in order to attend. The total is $2,935, and I only listed $1,500 as my goal for this fundraiser because I think I'll be alright with the rest. But $1,500 is just over half, and that will be an enormous boost. It will alleviate some of the financial load. (I'm not yet sure when it's due. Mid-July, I think).
Is there something I might get in return?
Other than my enduring, everlasting gratitude, there are numerical amounts from which to choose that will award you particular prizes in return, all of which are hand-made or crafted by me to some degree and all of which absolutely include a hand-written thank-you note. Of course, you may opt out of a prize and choose a different amount. That's okay, too!
What are you working on and how will the conference help?
In a nutshell, I want to eventually expand my graduate poetry thesis into a manuscript for a first collection. But not in its current state. It needs a lot of work and a lot of revision. So, I'm currently writing new poems that I possibly see fitting in the fabric of the collection, and I'm revising old ones, as well. Bread Loaf is important because I will gain new colleagues and voices that will help me shape my perspective and vision for my work. I've been away from workshops long enough, and I'm hoping that the conference will rejuvinate, jumpstart, and challenge my writing in new ways.
I'm looking forward to being a loafer. (Yes, loafer). Can you help? Any donation, no matter how small, will undoubetly help. And if you cannot donate, I understand. Maybe just share this page so that others might see it, too?
I so appreciate your consideration and support, and I look forward to sharing my experience!
Humbly and gratefully,
Rachel
Organizer
Rachel Kennedy
Organizer
Nashua, NH
