Tennessee Group Announces Veterans-Writing Retreat

Blog editor's note: The following post is based on press release materials. No endorsement is necessarily to be implied.

Sundress​ ​Academy​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Arts (SAFTA)​, Knoxville, Tenn., ​announce​s ​its​ ​first​ ​writing​ ​retreat​ ​for​ ​veterans​ ​will be held​ ​Oct. 7-8,​ ​2017.​ ​This​ ​2-day​ ​retreat​ ​at​ ​SAFTA's​ 45-acre ​Firefly​ ​Farms​ ​is​ ​for​ ​military​ ​veterans​ ​and​ ​current​ ​service​ ​members​ ​and​ ​will​ ​be a​ ​space​ ​for​ ​creativity,​ ​writing​ ​exercises,​ ​discussions​ ​on​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​write​ ​about​ t​rauma,​ ​advice​ ​on​ ​publishing,​ ​and​ ​more.​ ​This weekend​ ​will​ ​be​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​express​ ​shared​ ​experiences​ ​and​ ​learn​ ​to​ ​write​ ​your​ ​story​ ​for​ ​a​ ​non-military​ ​audience.

A​ ​weekend​ ​pass​ ​includes​ ​one-on-one​ ​and​ ​group​ ​instruction,​ ​writing​ ​supplies,​ ​food,​ ​drinks,​ ​and​ ​all​ ​on-site​ ​amenities​ ​for $75.​ ​​ ​Tents,​ ​sleeping​ ​bags,​ ​and​ ​other​ ​camping​ ​equipment​ ​are​ ​available​ ​to​ ​rent.

The​ ​event​ ​will​ ​be​ ​open​ ​to​ p​eople​ ​of​ ​all​ ​backgrounds​ ​and​ ​experience​ ​levels​ ​and​ ​provide​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with talented,​ ​published​ ​fiction​ ​writers​ ​and​ ​poets,​ ​including​ ​Jeb​ ​A.​ ​Herrin​ ​and​ ​Jan​ ​LaPerle.

Jeb​ ​A.​ ​Herrin​ ​was​ ​a​ ​medic​ ​with​ ​the​ ​3r​d​​ ​Infantry​ ​Division​ ​during​ ​Operations​ ​Iraqi​ ​Freedom​ ​and​ ​New​ ​Dawn.​ ​He​ ​earned​ ​his BA​ ​in​ ​English​ ​and​ ​MFA​ ​in​ ​Poetry​ ​from​ ​the​ ​University​ ​of​ ​Tennessee,​ ​where​ ​he​ ​was​ ​the​ ​2016​ ​winner​ ​of​ ​the​ ​John​ ​C.​ ​Hodges Award​ ​for​ ​Creative​ ​Writing​ ​for​ ​Poetry.​ ​His​ ​work​ ​can​ ​be​ ​found​ ​in​ ​​Political​ ​Punch​​ ​and​ ​​O-Dark-Thirty​.​ ​Jeb​ ​has​ ​future​ ​plans of​ ​blending​ ​the​ ​world​ ​of​ ​composition​ ​with​ ​creative​ ​writing​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​finding​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​make​ ​the​ ​voice​ ​of​ ​the​ ​veteran​ ​heard. He​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​Knoxville​ ​with​ ​his​ ​wife,​ ​son,​ ​and​ ​two​ ​dogs.

Jan​ ​LaPerle​ ​lives​ ​in​ ​east​ ​Tennessee​ ​with​ ​her​ ​husband,​ ​Clay​ ​Matthews,​ ​and​ ​daughter,​ ​Winnie.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​published​ ​a​ ​book​ ​of poetry,​ ​​"It​ ​Would​ ​Be​ ​Quiet"​​ ​(Prime​ ​Mincer​ ​Press,​ ​2013);​ ​an​ ​e-chap​ ​of​ ​flash​ ​fiction,​ ​​"Hush"​​ ​(Sundress​ ​Publications,​ ​2012); ​a story​ ​in​ ​verse,​ ​​"A​ ​Pretty​ ​Place​ ​To​ ​Mourn" ​​(BlazeVOX,​ ​2014);​ ​and​ ​several​ ​other​ ​stories​ ​and​ ​poems,​ ​and​ ​in​ ​2014​ ​she​ ​won​ ​an individual​ ​artist​ ​grant​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Tennessee​ ​Arts​ ​Commission.​ ​LaPerle​​ ​was​ ​on​ ​active​ ​duty​ ​at​ ​Fort​ ​Campbell​ ​for​ ​three​ ​years and​ ​has​ ​spent​ ​12​ ​years​ ​as​ ​an​ ​Army​ ​reservist,​ ​most​ ​recently​ ​as​ ​a​ ​career​ ​counselor.

We​ ​have​ ​two​ ​full​ ​scholarships​ ​available​ ​for​ ​the​ ​retreat​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​limited​ ​partial​ ​scholarships​ ​for​ ​those​ ​with​ ​financial​ ​need. To​ ​apply​ ​for​ ​a​ ​scholarship,​ ​send​ ​a​ ​brief​ ​statement​ ​on​ ​why​ ​you​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​attend​ ​this​ ​workshop​ ​and​ ​an​ ​optional​ ​packet​ ​of no​ ​more​ t​han​ ​eight ​pages​ ​of​ ​creative​ ​writing​ ​to​ ​Erin​ ​Elizabeth​ ​Smith​ ​at​: ​​erin AT sundresspublications DOT com​​ ​no​ ​later​ ​than Sept.​ ​15,​ ​2017.​ ​Scholarship​ ​recipients​ ​will​ ​be​ ​announced​ ​shortly​ ​thereafter.

Space​ ​at​ ​this​ ​workshop​ ​is​ ​limited​ ​to​ ​15​ ​people,​ ​so​ ​reserve​ ​your​ ​place​ ​today​ ​at: https://squareup.com/store/sundress-publications/item/veterans-writing-retreat

The​ ​Sundress​ ​Academy​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Arts​ ​(SAFTA)​ ​is​ ​an​ ​artists'​ ​residency​ ​that​ ​hosts​ ​workshops,​ ​retreats,​ ​and​ ​residencies​ ​for writers,​ ​actors,​ ​filmmakers,​ ​and​ ​visual​ ​artists.​ ​All​ ​are​ ​guided​ ​by​ ​experienced,​ ​professional​ ​instructors​ ​from​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of creative​ ​disciplines​ ​who​ ​are​ ​dedicated​ ​to​ ​cultivating​ ​the​ ​arts​ ​in​ ​East​ ​Tennessee.