Description
There are THREE options to stay in the Hart House. Purchasing this room is an overnight purchase, with a private bathroom in one of these rooms: Pasha’s Room, or the Aviary Room.
This is for the June 16-18 weekend retreat with Michael Zapata.
*Note: Vaccination proof is required for participation.
Ragdale and StoryStudio Chicago are pleased to announce an exceptional writing retreat this summer at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois, a spectacular setting that offers the best of nature and architecture.
For June 2023’s retreat, we’ll take our inspiration from both the art critic David Sylvester, who said, “Artists must be allowed to get into a mess,” and the writer Jon Fosse who said, “I never ever imagine anything clearly or literally when I write. It’s an act of listening. I listen to something.”
The retreat led by Michael Zapata will help attendees consider how they might listen, slow down, and make a mess! Guided discussions and writing activities will encourage writers to build a sustainable writing practice that embraces both their own artistic impulses and the worlds in which they live.
In addition to scheduled programming, we’ll take advantage of the winding paths, secluded benches, and fifty acres of pristine prairie. The history of Ragdale, the unique setting, and the spirit of so many writers who have written in these spaces before are sure to inspire us all. This retreat will offer everyone the opportunity to stop and look and wonder, and sometimes learn.
What’s Included?
The purpose of this weekend is to leave the world behind so you can focus your attention and energy on your stories.
The retreat includes all programs, workshops, and use of the Ragdale grounds. Friday dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Sunday brunch are all included. OVERNIGHT registration includes a room to sleep in for the weekend.
Retreat Schedule
The weekend’s schedule is never set in stone because we never know how the spirit of Ragdale will inspire us. Here is a general sense of writing time, workshops, meals, and unscheduled moments.
Friday, June 16
3pm-5:30pm: Arrival, check in, open writing
5:30pm: Welcome, wine
6:00-7:00pm: Dinner
7:00-9:00pm: Workshop session
Saturday, June 17
8:00-9:00am: Continental Breakfast
9:30-11:30am: Morning session
12:00-1:00pm: Lunch
2:00-4:00pm: Afternoon session
4:00-6:00pm: Individual writing time (read, chat, nap, or simply relax with a walk through the prairie)
6:00pm: Dinner
7:30-8:30pm: Student readings
Sunday, June 18
9:30am-10:30: Brunch
10:30-12:30pm: Morning session
12:30-3pm: Writing, reading, strolling in the prairie
3:00pm: Departure
*(schedule subject to change)
To register for a different room in the Hart House:
Option 2
Option 3
To register for an overnight, en suite room in the Ragdale house, please click here. (What’s different? It’s overnight, with a private bathroom.)
To register for an overnight, regular room in the Barnhouse, please click here. (What’s different? It’s overnight, but you share a bathroom.)
To register for an overnight, regular room in the Shearer Studio, please click here. (What’s different? It’s overnight, you have your own bathroom, and it’s in a newly renovated, top-of-the-line studio.)
*Please note: rooms are limited, and we cannot guarantee you a spot at any of our retreat spots.
