First Time Login Instructions for 2021 Participants
The University has determined that the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference will be held remotely again this summer. The lack of a COVID vaccine for high school students, the slow pace of vaccination for adults like our faculty, and the challenge of creating a safe bubble in a program whose participants travel from all over the country, make it impossible to plan a program on campus in which we could be confident about the health and safety of all. Our virtual program in 2020 was, all participants and faculty felt, quite successful, and we learned a lot from running it. I have also learned a lot from teaching college students remotely during the past several months, and from watching my own college-age children learn in the same way.
So I have a good sense of what is possible and desirable online: how much we can accomplish, and also how much screen time a person can experience before reaching the point of diminishing returns. We will offer, again this year, a program with many of the virtues of our traditional, in-person Conference. You’ll learn from truly gifted, award-winning faculty members (do read about them) who love teaching as much as writing; you’ll meet other teens who share a passion for reading and creative writing; and you’ll encounter some real stars in the literary world. Last summer’s participants actually found one special benefit of attending remotely: with the help of our resourceful teachers, they discovered sources of inspiration they didn’t know they had, in their own homes and neighborhoods.
So what are we planning?
As always, workshops in multiple genres (see the list of faculty and courses on this website), in which a “zoom-room-full” of teens will discuss both published works and their own drafts. We’ll begin with introductions on Sunday afternoon, June 27. After that, workshops will meet synchronously every afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00, with a break in the middle when participants can grab a snack, stretch, and possibly complete a brief writing assignment. Workshops will be limited to 8 students. Faculty readings and other events will happen at 11:00 most mornings; open mic nights, talent shows, and other social events will happen in the evenings. Readings by our Special Guests, with a chance for questions and answers, will also take place by Zoom during the two-week conference. The same goes for our usual, optional session on Writing the College Essay, led by Sewanee Admissions staff.
When the Conference meets in-person we try to enrich everyone’s experience with optional craft classes and extracurricular experiences. A remote Conference will still be offering these, but to avoid Zoom burnout during our intense two-week term, they’ll happen the week before the official start date. They, along with along with discussions of the assigned books by our Special Guests and some social meet-and-greets, will take place the week of June 21. These pre-Conference events will be optional but will be fun and worthwhile; you should plan to take advantage of them.
As always, the two-week Conference will include one-on-one meetings between each participant and his or her instructor. To enable the sense of community that is a special strength of the SYWC, we will also open up the Zoom room at certain times for social interaction among all participants, the virtual equivalent of the common spaces in our dorm.
What else do you need to know?
We begin reading applications February 21, 2021, and will send decisions no later than Friday, April 9.
In order to participate, it is essential that you have a good working computer (not a phone or tablet), good wifi, and a quiet place in which to work. We will have tech support available for all participants during the day.
The cost of the program is $1200; payment will be due on Wednesday, April 15. We have a limited amount of need-based financial aid. The application may be found on the Apply Here page of the website.
