Good evening!
Today is day one of the 2009 Tomales Bay Workshops, and we are off to a fantastic start!
The weather out here on the coast was amazing today--sunny and warm. We had a beautiful sunset as Pam Houston welcomed participants, followed by an amazing keynote reading and Q&A by Robert Hass.
Mr. Hass read new work, including selections from his "September Notebooks" and "June Notebooks," which are just that--notebooks kept for one month, but kept over a series of years, and then culled from to produce poems and prose-like pieces and fragments that connect associatively and imagistically. A particularly moving passage was one in which the speaker considers the fate of the body of his brother, whom (we have just in the poem learned) has passed away.
During the Q&A, participants asked Mr. Hass about how his work has evolved over time, and Hass responded by talking about how our writing changes as our lives change. He underscored the value of making writing friends, and also the value of gatherings like The Tomales Bay Workshops, where writers can be free to dedicate themselves to writing and thinking about writing for awhile.
The evening reception featured Pete Ficklin pouring a Ficklin Vineyards port wine tasting; there was Cowgirl Creamery cheeses for snacking.
More coming tomorrow!
Attending vicariously, Kate, and looking forward to add'l updates. Thanks for providing!
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