Shelley Silbert, “Wild Places, Wild Mind”: A Writing Workshop

When: Saturday, September 23, 10:30 am – 3:30 pm

Where: Willowtail Springs

$40 fee. Register through Mancos School of the West: www.schoolofthewest.org.

Shelley Silbert had a residency in March of this year. She teaches for anyone over 50 who is passionate about the environment in all of its ways.

How do we write about wilderness and wild places, including those that live within us? What significance does wildness play in theme, setting, and character of our stories? And how can our work expand our understanding of nature and help to protect the natural world? In this workshop, we will use the backdop of Willowtail Springs to explore our inner and outer awareness, practice with sit spots, and develop and share (if desired) timed writings. We’ll discuss selections by noted authors to inspire our work, such as Robin Wall Kimmerer, Ross Gay, Barbara Kingsolver, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Natalie Goldberg. This workshop is open to all levels of writers. Bring a notebook and pen, a bag lunch, water, and comfortable clothing to sit outside.

Shelley Silbert is a writer, conservationist, and naturalist. She retired in 2022 as Executive Director of Great Old Broads for Wilderness in Durango, where she led public lands protection work for this national nonprofit for over 9 years. Previously, she worked for a decade each at Northern Arizona University and The Nature Conservancy in Flagstaff, Arizona. Shelley explores her passion for the natural world through essays, poetry and fiction.