Sundress Academy for the Arts Presents "Exploring Wilderness Through Writing": A Writers Workshop

The Sundress Academy for the Arts is excited to present “Exploring Wilderness Through Writing,” a workshop led by Korrin Bishop on September 26, 2021 from 1-7:30PM. This event will be held in-person. Please note that there are only 10 spots available for this event, and it is restricted to only vaccinated people (must show vaccination card in advance.) Also, parking is limited at Firefly Farms, so please carpool. Those interested in this event can register at tiny.utk.edu/wildernessworkshop.

Novelists, memoirists, poets, screenwriters, and more have long been inspired by time spent in the great outdoors. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll gather at Firefly Farms in Knoxville—home of Sundress Academy for the Arts—to take our own walk in the woods. We’ll use our five senses, some foraging, and a few writing prompts to explore our inner and outer wildernesses. We’ll try to define what exactly makes something nature writing and discuss why these works carry importance.

This workshop will take an expansive view of the genre to challenge outdated narratives that outdoor adventure stories are reserved for White, male perspectives—or even that one must go on a grueling physical adventure to appreciate nature. It will focus on sharing poetry and creative nonfiction by women, LGBTQ, and BIPOC writers to explore the richness of wilderness writing that takes place beyond the boundaries set by tales of man versus wild.

Make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes, a pen, notebook, water, and whatever else you need to feel safe and inspired in a woodsy outdoor environment. This workshop is for everyone—from seasoned backcountry campers to individuals who staunchly declare they are not “outdoorsy”—so, if you’re wondering if you belong here, please know that you do.

While there is no fee for this workshop, those who are able and appreciative can make direct donations to Korrin via Venmo @KorrinLBishop or PayPal korrin.bishop@gmail.com.

Korrin Bishop is a writer and editor with passions for mission-driven work and the great outdoors. She co-founded the outdoor group Wild Wilderness Women in 2014 to empower women to get outside, skill share, and build a more inclusive wilderness community. Her writing is heavily influenced by a sense of place, as over time she has found home amongst California’s redwoods, Washington, D.C.’s cherry blossoms, Oregon’s caves, South Dakota’s badlands, Florida’s Everglades, and Appalachia’s Smoky Mountains. Korrin has written for the National Park Service, Misadventures Magazine, Sierra Magazine, Smokies Life, She Explores, and Fodor’s Travel, among others. She is currently on a quest to hike every trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park—when not getting distracted by her kayak.