Gallery

"I never anticipated that a single week could draw people together so closely, or that its effects would be felt so strongly several weeks later. When I sit down to write now, I still feel strengthened by that sense of community—which went well beyond the excellent advice I was given in workshop. I feel excited by the range of work I saw there, by the commitment of the program's leaders, and by a certain urgency of purpose that I sensed in the best of its writers; that excitement is finding its way into my own work, even now."

"The first really impressive thing about the workshop is simply leaving Mexico City behind for the mountains, and then landing in the hotel. Just sitting on the patio might have been enough for me, but what made it a special experience was the ability to work with such a fine group of people. I was impressed by the high level of critiquing. I was also impressed by how caring people were, about each other and about each other's and their own work. The sweat lodge and pyramid and discussion of the history of the town were unexpected benefits."

"With all this, there is Tepoztlan—cobblestone streets, early morning fog, the sunlit corridors of the cathedral cloister. The days were somehow long enough to leave time for swimming, walking, leisurely breakfasts of fresh papaya and conversations that lasted through three or four dinners without being quite long enough. I'm particularly grateful for the lectures on national and local politics, which helped ground us in what might otherwise have felt a bit other-worldly; (for writers, the set-up was so utopian that it was possible to forget we were in a real time and place). The hike to the temple on the final day helped us understand why the people of Tepoztlan have fought so long to protect the natural landscape in which we found ourselves; the walk up the mountain was as beautiful as the view when we reached the temple."