The Writers' Colony

Writers take note: The dates for two popular Eureka events have been set for this year. If you'd like to schedule your time at the Colony to coincide with either of these, call Vicki soon!

The annual Books in Bloom literary festival, "a celebration of writers and readers", will be held at the beautiful Crescent Hotel on Sunday afternoon, May 16, 2010. Each year, the Crescent graciously opens its lawns, gardens and rooms to writers, readers and literary types to wander, peruse, gather, listen, discuss or simply read. This is the essence of spring in Eureka!

"Books in Bloom is an annual event that brings together accomplished authors, booklovers, and writers in a lovely, informal setting. This free literary event, presented by the Carroll and Madison Public Library Foundation, is open to the public and celebrates book culture and promotes reading and literacy." For more information, check www.booksinbloom.org.

And, the Ozark Creative Writers Conference has set the dates for its 42nd gathering. The Conference will be held October 7 - 9, 2010. Pre-registration date is August 27, 2010.

This is a wonderful, small but powerful conference with a varied and excellent array of information for every writer. Guest speakers are informative and realistic, ideas flow, editors are on site, and the charge you'll get from being with this crowd will amaze you. Last year, I left the conference with a whole new approach to a project I've struggled with for years. I highly recommend this friendly but serious conference.

Check out www.ozarkcreativewriters.org for more information, and don't miss the contest entries!

Take care,

Jennifer Hansen

Our 2010 opening is less than two weeks away and the pace is picking up. We've got a great bunch of writers coming in this year, so if you're considering joining us let Vicki know at 479-253-7444. Some folks schedule well in advance, others at the last minute. Somehow, Vicki sorts it all out!

Once again, we're being super flexible with lengths of stays this year. We learned last year that our flexibility made it possible for many old and new friends to come and get that protected work time they need. Realistically, the economy means changes for all of us, and if a shorter than usual stay is what's best for you, let us know.

When you come, you'll see familiar faces: Vicki Kell-Schneider at the front desk, Cindy Duncan in the kitchen, Jana Jones in the garden and sprucing up the suites, and me behind the scenes. All of us are looking forward to supporting you however we can - for lots and lots and lots of writing time, thinking space, gathering for yummy dinners, quiet work in the writing suites, and fun breaks in town.

Spring is hinting that it's here, we hope you'll be here soon, too!

Jennifer Hansen

February at the Writers' Colony finds us seeing to the business side of this nonprofit. This is when we write reports and proposals, tidy up the place from last year, make decisions about repairs, and so on. More days than not over the last month, getting to the Colony has been an adventure. Ice and snow visited early and often and stayed, and stayed, and stayed.

But that's what winter is all about, right? Would spring be so beautiful if we didn't miss it so? Nope.

This year, come spring, summer, or fall, we hope to see you at the Colony. Right now, we're in the process of finalizing some 2010 Fellowships, and here's a sneak peak:

The NEW Mahony Fellowship for Courageous Writing for Young People;

The return of ... The Moondancer Fellowship for Writing About Nature and the Outdoors;

Year 2 of The Duncan Eat-Write! Culinary Fellowship;

and more!

So stay tuned and start dreaming of writing days at the Colony - spring really is just around the corner!

Stay warm and well,

Jennifer Hansen

 As you can see from these photos Vicki took of Grotto Spring (right down the street from the Colony), Eureka may be cold but it's always festive!

We've had a bitter cold but beautiful winter so far. Even though today we're enjoying a respite from the cold, sleet, and icy roads, we know there's more on the way before we're through. Ever wondered why The Writers' Colony doesn't stay open all year long? Ever wondered why we don't invite you to be here through the yummy winter months when it's so nice to curl up in a cozy corner and write, write, write? Because when skies deliver ice and snow to Northwest Arkansas, hilly and steep Eureka Springs shuts down - and for good reason!

Yes, Arkansas is way down south to many of you, but our little corner of the Ozark Mountains has all four seasons, and winter came raging in this December. Schools were closed for days due to ice, and Eureka was all but impassable. It was a good but harsh reminder to us because each year we consider the option of staying open and each year, we err on the safe side and are usually glad we did.

But wait - spring will come! If you're considering your options for where you'll be writing next year, not to worry. There'll be plenty of warm, cozy writing time and space at the Colony when we re-open March 15. Want to reserve some? Contact Vicki at director@writerscolony.org . We're starting to fill in dates for 2010, so let us know when we can look forward to seeing you!

Stay warm,

Jennifer Hansen

It's quiet here now. The suites are empty, the kitchen dark. Inside, the Colony mirrors the quiet winter world outside, and even though we miss our writers there's something quite nice about putting the place to bed for a few months. Of course, there's still plenty going on in the office and around the Colony complex. Vicki bustled through the holidays with end-of-year busyness and some much-needed repairs. And throughout the season it was lovely to hear from many of you who sent cards and updates, thanks for staying in touch.

What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time, we were barely holding on. With careful financial management and the support of long-time donors, our Board, alums and new writers, we not only paid off old bills - some several years old, to be honest - but we ended the year in strong financial condition. In addition, we moved way ahead on renovation of our new building next door and, looking ahead to a renewed marketing effort in 2010, we pursued a full-fledged marketing study through long-term alum Joe Cangelosi to get to know our potential audience better.

Now, with the holidays behind us and two whole months before we open again, we have the quiet time to review and renew. Our 2010 season begins in mid-March, and between now and then we'll be cleaning, repairing, writing grants, revising outdated promotional material, and much more. With time to think and reflect on an incredibly difficult year, a year which many non-profits did not survive or barely survived, I have to say that The Writers' Colony is going strong. I truly believe that 2010 will be a great year for us, and I hope it will be a happy, healthy and prosperous year for each of you.

Jennifer Hansen