| In
1985, Kent Brown organized the first Highlights Foundation
conference for children’s writers at Chautauqua
Institution in western New York State. He picked a place
that would instill calmness and creativity and designed
a program to inspire participants to become better at
their craft. The result was nothing short of magic. |
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The
Chautauqua Institution is like no other place you’ve
ever been. For more than a century, this unique retreat
has been a center for intellectual growth, artistic endeavor,
and creative renewal.
Chautauqua is a community of historic gingerbread houses
with narrow, shady streets. Bird song replaces the sound
of traffic. The pace is slower, and many visitors feel
as if they have stepped back in time. At Chautauqua, people
eat breakfast on wide porches and wave to passersby. They
stroll down to the heart of the community, Bestor Plaza,
to browse at the bookstore or have a treat at the ice
cream parlor. They wander to the Amphitheatre to enjoy
a concert or follow the cobbled path to the Hall of Philosophy
to attend a lecture. The peaceful yet stimulating atmosphere
of Chautauqua makes it the perfect spot for writers to
learn and grow. |
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Not
long after you enter the gates, you’ll begin to
feel as if you’re among friends. These friends are
at various stages of their writing careers. Some have
just submitted a manuscript for the first time. Others
may have had several things published.
Attendees come from all over the United States, as well
as from around the world. They come from places like Guam,
Zimbabwe, India, France, and New Zealand. They are teachers,
engineers, computer programmers, legal secretaries, media
specialists, stay-at-home moms, and farmers. They range
in age from college students to retirees. Though their
experiences are diverse, they share one thing: a passion
for creating children’s literature.
That shared passion energizes the Chautauqua conference.
Throughout the week, attendees meet with new writer friends.
They get together on balconies and porches; they jog together
beside the lake; they sit on park benches. They critique
stories, celebrate successes, and share goals and dreams.
As the week progresses, they realize that Chautauqua really
is a place where dreams can come true. |
The
Chautauqua Difference |
At
Chautauqua, you are immersed for a stimulating week with
a whole group of writers and faculty members. You share
meals with them. You attend workshops with them. You sit
with them on the steps of the Hall of Christ and discuss
children’s literature.
As you spend your days and evenings with this group, you
notice that no matter what stage of your writing career
you are in, you feel respected. Your fellow attendees
and the faculty care about you and your work. Everyone
seems willing to help you achieve your goals as a writer.
Even if you’ve never been published before, you
feel like a writer. You are a writer. |
| Curriculum |
The
Chautauqua conference offers a variety of venues for learning.
The opening banquet offers inspiration for the week ahead
from such speakers as Patricia Lee Gauch. General sessions,
attended by all conferees, feature such publishing professionals
as nonfiction expert James Cross Giblin. Panel discussions
bring writers, editors, illustrators, critics, and publishers
together to share insights.
The workshops at the Chautauqua conference offer a rich
mixture of topics. The faculty members who lead them are
willing to share insights into their success. During this
exciting week, you choose from more than forty-five hour-long
workshops. These workshops cover a variety of subjects,
all related to writing or illustrating children’s
literature and getting published. You can pick a workshop
on point of view, learn to crank up your creativity, or
discover how to write a rebus. You might choose “Developing
a Plot,” “Writing for the Magazine Market,”
or “Getting Out of the Slush Pile.” Perhaps
“Writing Dialogue,” “Mining Your Memories,”
or “Agents and Contracts” would interest you
more.
The Chautauqua conference is not a “one-size-fits-all”
program. The well-thought-out curriculum is designed to
let you pick the workshops that fit you. Past attendees
tell us they are amazed by the variety and number of choices
they have in workshops. |
| Faculty |
Every
year at Chautauqua, the faculty includes editors, writers,
scholars, and other publishing professionals. Faculty
members are hand-picked to participate in this conference,
not only because they are successful in the field of children’s
literature, but also because they are known for their
accessibility, their caring, and their encouragement of
writers.
Editors
Past conferences have included top editors from such houses
as Philomel, Scholastic, Henry Holt, Clarion, Weekly
Reader Company, Pleasant Company, Cricket Magazine
Group, Guideposts for Teens magazine, Charlesbridge,
National Geographic World, and Eerdmans Books for
Young Readers. Each year, editors and publishing professionals
from Highlights for Children and Boyds Mills
Press round out the faculty.
Writers and Illustrators
Writers and illustrators on the conference faculty are
also chosen because of their willingness to share their
wisdom with conference attendees. Award-winners, such
as Jerry Spinelli, Virginia Euwer Wolff, Richard Peck,
and Sharon Creech, have been part of the conference faculty.
Accomplished illustrators, such as Brian Pinkney, Tedd
Arnold, George Ford, Jr., and David Small, have also been
faculty members.
Other Faculty Members
Most conferences include editors and writers on their
faculty, but the Chautauqua conference goes the extra
mile. On a regular basis, the faculty includes distinguished
educators, book packagers, librarians, reviewers, bookstore
owners, and members of national awards committees. These
people are chosen not only because they are experts in
their fields, but because they are more than willing to
share their insights into the writing business. While
some of these faculty members will talk about what kids
are reading, others will discuss what books make a child
want to read.
As you can see, the Chautauqua conference strives to cover
every aspect of writing for children. |
| One-on-One
Sessions |
In
addition to the formal program of workshops, you will
be paired with a faculty member who has read and critiqued
your manuscript and who will meet with you in one-on-one
sessions. He or she may ask for a rewrite during the week
and meet with you to review your changes. Your reviewer
may also ask to read other manuscripts you’ve brought.
Throughout the conference, you’ll also connect with other mentors—both faculty members and conference attendees—who can help you with writing problems, manuscript submissions, career path guidance, and the writing life in general. After all, everyone has the same goal: to write the best literature for children.
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| Taking
Chautauqua Home |
Chautauqua
is a mountaintop experience. From the minute you wake
up until you fall asleep at night, you think, talk, read,
write, and breathe children’s literature. You may
wish that this invigorating week could last forever, but
even the best experiences must end. When the week is over
and it’s time to go home, what will you take with
you? You’ll take lasting connections to new friends,
both Chautauqua graduates and faculty members. You’ll
take a bag full of books and pages filled with notes.
You’ll take insider knowledge and a new writing
network. Most of all, you’ll take the inspiration
that comes from a writer’s conference like no other,
and you’ll be eager to apply what you’ve learned
to your work.
You’ll miss Chautauqua—tears and hugs often
accompany waves of goodbye—but when you walk back
out those gates, you’ll be better prepared to write,
to tackle that new project, or to continue the revisions
to the manuscript you brought with you. Many Chautauqua
graduates credit the conference with their writing success
stories. Some, like 1995 Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech,
even come back later as faculty members because they want
to share their knowledge and insights with aspiring writers
just like you.
Once you’re home and back at your desk, you’ll
find that the Chautauqua experience has become a part
of your writing. And at odd moments, when you pull out
Chautauqua memories to relive and cherish, you’ll
realize that Chautauqua has also become a part of your
heart. |
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