It’s been said that the Grand Canyon defies words. With this workshop we plan to put this theory to the test! Participants will use nature—both around them, in the Grand Canyon’s beautiful environment, and within them, through thoughts, associations, and memories—as a catalyst for creative writing. Special focus will be on taming what writer Natalie Goldberg calls “monkey mind”—the internal chatter that distracts writers from doing what they most want to do: write. We will also examine the notion of what exactly defines “the natural world,” and attempt to find ways to expand that definition through close observation of all the aspects of life in Grand Canyon National Park.

The instruction and exercises will be conducted in secluded settings along the majestic South Rim and in historic Kolb Studio—home and studio to the Grand Canyon’s intrepid pioneer brothers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb—with its commanding view of Bright Angel Canyon. Light walking along the rim, and possibly short forays below, will help stimulate the creative juices. Please bring a notebook and writing utensils, something comfortable for walking, and appropriate clothing to protect from the sun. Brown bag lunches are encouraged.