SwampFire

SwampFire logo created by Steve Smith

Second Retreat: 2009
Burns family farm, Larwill IN

The second annual English Department summer retreat, hosted by Dawn Burns, took place on June 20-21 and included work sessions among the trees and informal critique around an evening campfire.

Creative Writing students Tyler Dunham, Jared Erickson, Mallory Gee, and Angela Santo attended, accompanied by Professors Mary Catherine Harper, Jerri Courtney, and Dawn Comer. Friends of the arts Michelle Marshall and Zoe Marshall also attended.

Fire pit flames at sunset
fire pit flames at sunset
Burns Farm dinner bell
Burns Farm dinner bell
  • Tyler Dunham and Mallory Gee in the kitchen of the Burns farmhouse
    Tyler Dunham and Mallory Gee in the kitchen of the Burns farmhouse
  • Angela Santo and Mallory Gee during the Saturday writing session
    Angela Santo and Mallory Gee during the Saturday writing session
  • Jared Erickson and Tyler Dunham during Saturday's writing time
    Jared Erickson and Tyler Dunham during Saturday’s writing time
  • Students still hard at work writing
    Students still hard at work writing
  • Professor Jerri Courtney writes indoors
    Professor Jerri Courtney writes indoors
  • Professor Mary Catherine Harper writes under walnut trees
    Professor Mary Catherine Harper writes under walnut trees
  • Professor Dawn Burns also spends her writing time among the trees of her family farm
    Professor Dawn Burns also spends her writing time among the trees of her family farm
  • Jared and Tyler tend the late-afternoon fire
    Jared and Tyler tend the late-afternoon fire
  • Jared gets vegetable kabobs ready for the fire
    Jared gets vegetable kabobs ready for the fire
  • Angela reads her piece at the evening workshop session
    Angela reads her piece at the evening workshop session
  • Michelle Marshall and Mallory listen to a workshop reader
    Michelle Marshall and Mallory listen to a workshop reader

Swipe left on phone.

"Three-Element Fusion" by Mary Catherine Harper, a three-image overlay of tree, dragonfly, and moon
“Three-Element Fusion” by Mary Catherine Harper
SwampFire bonfire, photo by Eva English
photo by Eva English

Reflections by participants . . .

SwampFire 2009. Our second year of SwampFire writers/artists retreat, and our Saturday night campfire is over, air mattresses are being filled, and bodies are finding beds. In attendance this year are MC Harper, Jerri Courtney, students Angela Santo, Mallory Gee, Jared Erickson, Tyler Dunham, and Michelle and Zoe Marshall from Winona Lake.

A fabulous day of story revisions for me, both on my “Roswell Diaries” story and my dedication page about Xavier Buttons, Weeki Wachee’s unsung mermaid. This was followed by a fabulous campfire meal—chicken, brats, marinated veggies, fruit salad, pasta salad, lemonade, etc.

This year we initiated a reading time around the campfire, and it was such a pleasure to hear everyone’s work in all its diversity, and to talk about our work and a whole range of subjects with open hearts and open minds. Too late and too tired for details tonight, other than to say I am once more delighted and humbled to have such creative people in my life, and to have this place as a retreat at which to gather. 🙂
~Dawn Burns

The SwampFire retreat has been a time to hear the creative voices of wonderful, quirky writers. And discussion with Michelle Marshall has been a comfort to me, as I try to get my moorings after my brother’s death on the 6th. Getting to be around writers and thinkers who expose the wondrous strange in the seeming insignificant details of living is such a gift. Such a feast of voices!
~Mary Catherine Harper

What a wonderful gift to be able to have time and space—to think, to ponder, and to pray—Searching for a space to allow God’s Spirit to speak to me—Watching clouds scudding across the pale blue sky—Green as far as the eye can see—Something of safety—and yet the dark tree line in the distance where anything might be lurking—bespeaks the mystery of life and the journey we are on—together yet separately. We come together around the table—the fire yet soon we will part to go on with our separate paths—Thanks for the gift—of time, space, and presence.
~Michelle Marshall

Thank you, Dawn and MC for the invite! I had a good time. I realized that my character in my present project is a bitch, and I must let her be who she is.

I loved sharing my work and hearing the work of others. That was the best part.
~Angela Santo

Thank you so much for having us. I had a great time and got a lot of work done. Tyler Dunham is a stupid face, and Who Is John Galt?
~Jared Erickson

Jared Erickson is a childish buffoon who insults my awesomeness merely out of intimidation caused by my Alpha Male charm. Pay no attention to him.

This weekend, I wrote an awesome story, got punched by Mallory, and wrote a chapter for my upcoming smash hit fantasy series. I give the experience “two thumbs up.”
~Tyler Dunham

SwampFire Retreat where great minds combine and creativity emerges!! Absolutely wonderful weekend. Thank you so much for having me. And Tyler deserved to be punched. 🙂
~Mallory Gee

Grateful for the grace and blessing of this space, for fire and the exhalation of walnut leaves, for inspiration and suspiration underneath the trees.
~Jerri Courtney

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