Ronaldo V. Wilson Poetry Workshop Retreat

July 30th to August 2nd
Archives and Ephemera: A Poetry Workshop with Ronaldo Wilson

What materials might we bring into the realm of the poem? With what sources can we open the life of the mind into language that captures and reveals our imaginations, intentions, and explorations? An archive is defined as "a place or collection containing records, documents," "a long term storage area," and "a repository for stored memories or information," while ephemera is marked as a "short lived thing," and "printed matter of passing interest."

This workshop asks you to bring in and work from your archives and ephemera, ideally anything that can fit in a standard sized brief case or grocery bag, depending on your records, habits, findings, and tastes. Perhaps you have a small archive of photographs, news clippings, or journals you've been collecting? Or, maybe you have a series of loose notes, sketches, objects, or partial but striking drafts that you've left untouched and wish to revisit?

Throughout the week, you will focus on your own archives and ephemera as a means of generating a cycle of new poems. Students will work on in-class exercises, as well as discuss freshly drafted works. To further inspire our writing and conversation, we will look to poets who work with various modes of the archival and the ephemeral to include Cornelius Eady's Brutal Imagination, C.A. Conrad's Advanced Elvis Course, Harryette Mullen's Sleeping With the Dictionary, Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge's I Love Artists, Wayne Koestenbaum's Rhapsody of A Repeat Offender, and Meena Alexander's Quickly Changing River.

Ronaldo V. Wilson is the author of Narrative of the Life of the Brown Boy and the White Man, winner of the 2007 Cave Canem Poetry Prize (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2008), and Poems of the Black Object (Futurepoem Books, 2009). He is a graduate of the PhD program in English at the CUNY Graduate Center, and NYU's Graduate Creative Writing Program. Wilson has won numerous fellowships to include the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Cave Canem, Kundiman, Djerassi, and Yaddo. A co-founder of the Black Took Collective, he teaches creative writing and African American poetics at Mount Holyoke College.

www.millaycolony.org/workshops

Save the Date - July 24

Millay Colony's annual Open House and Concert happens this summer July 24. Details still forming, but you can be sure wine, music, art, and field flowers under the stars will be part of the soiree. This year guest composer Laura Andel will curate the music. Originally from Buenos Aires, Andel performs worldwide. She's also, of course!, a Millay alum....

MASS MoCA Memorial Weekend Concert

Millay Colony neighbors MASS MoCA have a dynamite Memorial Day Weekend program coming up...Carolina Chocolate Drops in concert!

Spend the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend at MASS MoCA in North Adams! Erasing the gap between the 1930s and today, Carolina Chocolate Drops are a striking North Carolina trio who bring modern sizzle to the legacy of classic African American string bands with fiddles, banjos, and even kazoos. Concert starts at 8 PM, but come early for the opening of Petah Coyne: Everything that Rises Must Converge in the galleries from 5-7 PM. Tickets for both events available by calling 413 MoCA111 or visiting massmoca.org.

MASS MoCA exhibited Nina Katchadourian who will be leading a workshop retreat for Millay in June.

EDNA in the works

Pictured is the inaugural issue of a journal of art made in residence at the Colony. We are receiving incredible work from 2009 residents for this next one. Pieces of score, poems, excerpts, collaborations, plays, book art, all sorts of provocative making will be represented!

Millay Colony goes to Denver!

Yes, we too will be at the AWPalooza (thanks, Mark Nowak! - see Harriet). A table, photos, EDNAs, and the ever amazing Caroline Crumpacker with steadfast sidekick Cara Benson will grace the Bookfair. We'd love to see you in the actual world, so do come by!

Also, check out the Center for Book Arts table where there will be info on their upcoming Poetry Chapbook competition. Millay Colony has sweetened the deal with Winter Shaker residency time for the winner!

We will be posting photos and updates from Denver...

2010: Workshop Retreats Announced!

The Millay Colony for the Arts offers four-day workshop retreats on the Colony's sylvan setting. Each class includes twelve hours of workshop time, all meals, and ample time to work, ruminate and explore our lush surroundings. Private bedrooms and spacious private studios are provided. Attendance is limited to six persons per workshop.

June 30 – July 3: Family: Artmaking with Nina Katchadourian

July 30 – August 2: Archives and Ephemera: Poetry with Ronaldo Wilson

Sept 30 – Oct 3: Weather as Muse: Video with Bernadine Mellis

Oct 30 – Nov 2: After Copenhagen: Ecopoetics with Jonathan Skinner

For full details and guidelines go to the website:

http://www.millaycolony.org/workshops

Winter

I'm hoping that the Winter is treating you well. It's been a snowy, quiet time at the Colony lately, with only a few Winter guest artists here in recent weeks. Sarah Madsen and Tania Love are here now, and they fill the Colony with sweetness. Tonight Tomas Noel and a collaborator arrive for a few days...

I always use this time for programming, catching up on various organizational tasks, fundraising, hello-saying, general love-sending. This week has all about applying to the NEA for funding...I salute the NEA for adding artists' residencies to their programs. And for having the most helpful staff, even in the face of harried callers, like my good self, freaking out about not getting a DUNS number and other mind-numbing issues.

And, dear reader and grant-apply-er, please know that it is not the fault of any person who works at the Endowment that one must, in order to apply, register with myriad Web sites designed primarily for producers of industrial plastics and destined to fail at key moments in the application process. The government, that vast web of folks and sites, makes them do it...

In other news, one of our jurors (the lovely Deb Poe) took a snapshot of my puppy Chelseagirl Penelope Crumpacker, as she held forth at the Colony office.



Normally she is joined by Calliope's dogs Handsome Hugh and Pearl...here is Chelsea with Hugh last October...have no doubt, these two are the real brains of our operation...


Otherwise, we look forward to a glorious weekend in our Winter Wonderland.

If you are at all inspired to visit the Colony in all its pristine cool white loveliness, give us a call -- 518-392-4144 -- and we will happily show you around.

Looking forward to Spring at Millay, and to your visit, reader. Anytime.