Writing Unleashed with Laura M. Harkins

* Lifted up my eyes. Last week, my days at Tinker Mountain Writing Workshop began on a large Southern porch. Bird songs, reminiscent of the “moment of nature” from CBS Sunday Morning , the only sound in the background while I swayed in a Kennedy rocker reading excerpts of Diane Ackerman, Twain and Robert Bly's writing.  Main Building Somehow, the six and a half hours I traveled on a Sunday to Roanoke, Virginia transported me back seven years to my undergraduate study at Penn State. An uncomfortable spring mattress, thin walls, an I.D. and keys on a lanyard around my neck, walking everywhere, cafeteria food and making new friends.  The longing for a personal bathroom started back up the minute I needed to put on shower shoes, carry shampoo, conditioner and other accoutrements to fight over the one shower that didn’t suck, again. Although living on Hollins Unive...

Hey all! I just wanted to give everyone a head's up that my regular blogging schedule will resume next week when I return from Tinker Mountain Writing Workshop at Hollins University. This is my third day here, and I couldn't be happier. The entire campus. The campus is nestled in the Blue Ridge mountains in Roanoke, VA. The smell of sweet magnolia trees floats in the air and I'm surrounded by wonderful Southern company. The Tinker dorms house the majority of us, bringing me back to my days at Penn State. Love it! I begin my mornings on the big Southern porch of the Main Bldg. in a rocking chair, reading. If I wasn't brought up better, I would totally throw one of the rocking chairs in my trunk on the way out of here on Saturday. Oh well. The temperature is a perfect, breezy 80 degrees. I spend my days reading, critiquing and talking craft. The writing community is small and intimate, giving me the opportunity to know everyone. My memoir workshop is made up o...