I’m just back from a fabulous trip to Seaside, Florida, where I had the pleasure of hanging out with authors John T. Edge and Shellie Rushing Tomlinson. You might know Edge for his in-depth work on the sociological and historical aspects of food, and Tomlinson for her high-larious take on being a southern belle. If you don’t know these two writers, please check them out.
The weekend, sponsored by Escape2Create, was entitled “Voices of the South,” and it was all about the food, culture, and ethos of being Southern. I facilitated an Amherst Writers and Artists workshop around the topic of food, where I wrote with some amazing women. On a rainy Saturday morning, we gathered around a farmhouse table in a stunning home that reminded me of Martha’s Vineyard. We spoke of the challenges, and payoffs, of living a writing life, whatever that might look like for our individual lives. Some of us are called to write for the public, others for our families. Some craft in rhyme, others in long form essay. But I dare say the end result is the same: “It’s the sharing of our stories that saves us.” Repeat after me.
You don’t need Cape Cod when you’ve got the beaches of 30A, and celebrating the South in Seaside was a treat indeed. With its engaging architecture, good food, fun shops, breathtaking atmosphere–and delightfully friendly and helpful residents–it was hard to leave. Thank you, fine people of Seaside, for making my first trip to your oasis so memorable. It had been a goal of mine to sign at Sundog Books, and look at me, I made it. Thank you, Linda and Bob White, for a dream come true.
I encourage all artistic types to check out the residences and other programs offered by Escape2Create. It will do your work, and your soul, good.
Author: Amy Lyles Wilson
I help people tell the stories they are called to tell through offering a variety of creative and spiritual practices. I facilitate workshops and retreats on such topics as creativity, grief, and spirituality. Published writer and experienced editor. Degrees in English, journalism, and theology. Lover of dogs, coffee, and all things wordsmith-y. Trained in Narrative Healthcare, Amherst Writers & Artists, Spiritual Direction, and SoulCollage®. "It's the sharing of our stories that saves us."
Nashville February 2012 Women’s Writing Circles!
The Circles are conducted in the spirit of Amherst Writers and Artists, which fosters a safe, supportive environment for people to write what they have not yet put into words; ask the questions for which there are no easy answers; and give rise to voices that have long been kept silent.
Amy Lyles Wilson is a trained affiliate of Amherst Writers and Artists.
1. Saturday, February 4 @ALIGN Wellness Studio in Belle Meade
http://www.nashvillealign.com/index2.php#/home/
$50.00/Call to pre-register: 615-383-0148
2. Saturday, February 11, @ALW’s Home in Green Hills
$45.00/Email to reserve your spot: hamblett2@mac.com
Gather for Conversation (optional): 9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
Writing: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., with breaks
Call/email if you need directions and/or have questions.
522-1196; hamblett2@mac.com
Policies for 2012:
Please be in your chair by 9:30 for a prompt start.
Need to cancel? Call/email before noon on the Wednesday before Circle. If you cancel after that time, or don’t show up, you’ll be expected to pay the entire fee. Exceptions made for emergencies.
Spots are reserved on a first-respond basis and a waiting list is kept.
I hope to write with you soon. . .
Amy Lyles Wilson
http://www.amherstwriters.com & http://www.amylyleswilson.com
Creative Resolutions 2012:
A Writing Workshop for Women with Amy Lyles Wilson
After you’ve vowed to lose weight, be nicer to your neighbor, and keep a cleaner house, why not spend some time crafting your creative goals for the New Year?
Writer Amy Lyles Wilson believes it is the sharing of our stories that saves us, and she invites you to write your heart out in a supportive environment designed to encourage your voice and silence the inner critic. Through prompts, readings, and resources, you’ll get the New Year off to a productive start in this workshop facilitated under the principles of Amherst Writers and Artists. This is not a critique group, and writers of all experience—and confidence—levels are welcomed, respected, and nurtured. Come claim your chair around the table for a morning of creativity and conversation.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Coffee & Conversation: 9:00 a.m.
Workshop: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: $45:00
Location: Green Hills, Nashville, TN
“The Language of Loss” @ Holy Family Catholic Church
“The Language of Loss: Putting Grief into Words”
Saturday, 10/22/11 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Holy Family Catholic Church
9100 Crockett Road, Brentwood, Tennessee
Contact Janis Lovecchio. Holy Family Catholic Church, at 373-4351, Ext. 235 or janis.lovecchio@holyfamilycc.com.
Burying a loved one, being downsized at work, growing old, feeling abandoned by God, letting go of a dream…any one of life’s losses can leave us speechless. All of a sudden, the language we’ve relied upon for years no longer has the power to get us through the day, much less express our anger and confusion about our circumstances. Join us and we’ll talk about loss, and language, and the grace that must surely come in-between. Together we’ll find the words for those times when mere words just won’t do.
—Amy Lyles Wilson
Women Who Write: Fall 2011
Here are my workshop and retreat offerings for the fall. I hope to write with you soon.
Amy Lyles Wilson
OCTOBER 1, 2011: Women’s Writing Circle @ ALW’s
Gather at 9 a.m.; Write and Reflect from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: $45
OCTOBER 22, 2011: “The Language of Loss: Putting Grief Into Words”
Workshop at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brentwood, facilitated by ALW. Details to come.
NOVEMBER 13-14, 2011: “The Language of Loss: Putting Grief Into Words”
Retreat at St. Mary’s Sewanee facilitated by ALW; more info here.
NOVEMBER 19, 2011: Women’s Writing Circle @ ALIGN Wellness Studio in Belle Meade
Gather at 9 a.m.; Write and Reflect from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Cost: $50
Call ALIGN to reserve your spot! 383-0148
DECEMBER 3, 2011: Women’s Writing Circle, Holiday Edition, @ ALW’s
Gather at 9 a.m.; Write and Reflect from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Potluck Lunch (I’ll do the main dish, which means Precious will cook for us) and Readings (bring something you’ve been working on) from 12:15 until we get tired of each other.
Cost: $45:00
Amy Lyles Wilson, M.A., M.T.S. | Writer, Story Coach, Spiritual Director 