|
Here’s what recent Institute participants had to say about different aspects of the program:
Overall Experience
“My week at Juniper reminded me how important it is to cast off my comfort zone in my work and push myself to break the rules, to try new styles and forms, to be more brave on the page.”
"Overall, this is the best experience I have had in a writing community."
“It’s like finding home. Not an outer place, but an internal ‘home’, where there’s recognition and common bonds.”
“I loved every minute of it. I came to Juniper feeling isolated in my practice, and left with a network of fellow writers with whom I can collaborate, communicate and foster my creative spirit. The intensity of the Institute allowed me to forge bonds I otherwise would have shied away from and I am so grateful for it!”
“I think I have enough material for the whole year ahead.” “I didn’t know how good it could feel to be surrounded by other imaginative people—the importance of a writing community as ‘moral’ support for the challenges of being a writer. Can’t the whole world be this way?”
"It was the most rewarding and valuable thing I have done for myself as a writer in the last two years." “It was a really profound experience for me, and I felt both challenged and supported throughout the entire week.”
“The intensity of the Institute allowed me to forge bonds I otherwise would have shied away from and I am so grateful for it!”
“I don’t think there is anything you could do to improve the sense of community at Juniper – it is remarkable, unparalleled, enjoyable and thoroughly worthwhile in every sense of the word.”
“Everyone I met was serious about art, and took others seriously.”
Workshops
"I’ve been to a lot of workshops, but this is the best by far. I don’t think it could get any better."
“I’d never been a part of a workshop with such an in-depth, intelligent level of conversation.”
“My workshop leader made me look at my writing in a completely new way and he gave each student a huge amount of personal attention. I really appreciated his dedication.”
“…fun and nerve-wracking, completely mystical. But what could be a weary grating experience was one of liberation.” “My workshop leader had enthusiasm for the work and approached the discussions with compassion for the writer. He was generous with his time and energy. Absolutely helped me think about my work, both in analysis and editing as well as first approaches.”
“It was like running a marathon with my brain, which means it was demanding, empowering, warm, and engendered a satisfying kind of exhaustion.”
“The way in which [my workshop leader] cares so deeply about writing, writers, poetry, the mind, our minds comes across with every word he shares.”
“It definitely opened up new avenues for me creatively. I feel energized and inspired. ”
"The experience was enriching, lively, profoundly useful."
“My favorite aspect of my workshop was the approach to writing, to our work, and to poetry as a whole – that is, the focus on POSSIBILITY – tapped and untapped, known and unknown, and how we as writers might arrive at places of unexpected or unseen possibility throughout and within our own craft.”
Readings, Craft Sessions, and Consultations
"The Q&As were great for getting into the mind of the writer. Really inspiring."
"All of the faculty had their very particular, very human approach to writing and all of them were so clear, so honest."
"The craft sessions were good, solid, concrete, actionable."
"The readings were the reward for a hard day’s work!
"Every night I left the readings with a new favorite poet, essayist, novelist, or what-have-you."
“I was especially impressed with the talent and diversity of the featured authors and the friendliness of the instructors.”
Organization & Logistics
“Everything was planned wonderfully and the whole experience was really great.”
"I felt well taken care of."
“The meals were excellent.”
“It was great to form a community in the dorms.”
“Found some peace and quiet in a picturesque setting.”
|
