Coming in March 2026
Sea, Sand, & Syntax
Have you ever wanted to sit by a fire, stare at the ocean, and write? The ocean has a remarkable way of bringing and taking with each sweep of a wave. I can hardly think of a better place in which to be inspired by natural surroundings or in which to seek a reprieve in which the creative spirit can flourish. In this intimate 5-day retreat, we’ll explore our craft through sessions of generative writing, dialogue about dialogue, workshopping existing pieces, and mining for our voice, our truth, and our purpose in our work.
Location: Oregon Coast Tentative Dates: March 27 - March 31 2026
writer
I write words, kind of like these ones but usually in black and a much more docile font. Sometimes people hire me to write words for them, because they have brilliant and worthy ideas they want to share, or a cause they want to promote, or a story the world needs to hear, but the words don’t come out of their mouths they way they feel in their hearts and minds. Which makes me a sort of honorary interpreter of their magic, a translator of the essential essence of the thing. I love this, mostly because I get to hear their stories and make art of them on the page.
The Spokesman Review and Out There Outdoors have allowed me to write stories of questionable judgement on their pages for years now. It is one of my most profound joys to work with these publications. They are a slow cure to my backwoods grammar.
columnist
Much of my writing is the result of a bizarre affinity for suffering, usually to the backdrop of rugged wilderness, mountain ridges, or raw landscapes of which I have little knowledge and fewer maps. In the interest of not taxing our Search & Rescue crews or causing an influx of concerned reader letters, I have improved my preparation skills greatly. I have learned that the best stories are not necessarily in sensation, but rather, the subtle.