Whew. OWR IV is a wrap...
….what was the best part, I'm asked
Charity Nebbe captured this video. This year, we had extraordinary musicians teach songwriting. In this video, they capture the essence of how a song comes together. From left to right: Jara Johnson, Jason Walsmith, Chad Elliot, and Justin Roberts.
After the closing moments of the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat that ended at noon, September 25th, several have asked:
What was your favorite part?
Generally, I’m not too fond of the question as it diminishes all the other moments that make up the whole experience.
And yet…
What came to mind was a moment after the closing session, a young woman I had not met approached. Her hair was thick and reddish brown, and she possessed a physical and inner beauty. I had not met her before, and she had traveled from Pittsburgh to northwest Iowa to attend the retreat.
Choking on her words, she took a deep breath and tried to speak. I heard her say the word ‘transformational’ then she lost the words again, I put my arms around her and said: I get it. You don’t need to say another word.
Perhaps it is ironic that the answer to the question, ‘What was your favorite part of an event focused on words and stories? ’ was exchanged without words or stories.
I wish I could have been in 60 places at once! I missed the hotdog roast/potluck and Carol Montag’s concert on Sunday night, but heard both were terrific.
I could describe countless other slivers of time that were impactful. Every conversation I’ve had since we closed the retreat gives me new insights into the profound experience others had, and I see anew the impact of gathering 300 curious people on 147 wooded lakeshore acres of land all for the purpose of learning.
Monday, the first day of the retreat, was packed. We had to start early to go through registration and the faculty introductions, a day of panels and workshops, and then a whole evening that included showing a documentary film, dinner, and a concert by the musicians on hand to teach songwriting.
I knew it was too much for one day, but it was the only time to showcase the film and concert. I wondered if anyone would attend, as it would begin just an hour after our last session ended. But when I pulled into the Pearson Lakes Art Center, and cars were taking up just about all the spots in the lot, I relaxed, knowing Nik Heftman would have a good-sized crowd for the premiere of his documentary film about Caleb Rainey, who refers to himself as The Negro Artist.
I had not previewed the film, and slid into the darkened theater as it began. The seats were filled so I stood in the back of the theater watching alongside a former Vistage speaker who flew in from Baltimore for the retreat. We had barely spoken other than me thanking him for helping connect my laptop to a projector on Monday afternoon. Standing to my right in the theater was a participant from Cherokee who has been with us all four years, and is a volunteer golf cart driver during the retreat.
The film was more powerful than I can say, and so is Caleb Rainey, the man who is the focus of the show. You will have an opportunity to see it, and I’ll let you know when the dates and times are set. Read this column by Doug Burns: “The Negro Artist: A Poet And His Impact,” to learn more about it and the director, Nik Heftman.
As an aside, and an example of the connections that are made during the retreat: Last year, Caleb locked himself out of his motel room, and Nik, a CBS Morning News producer, let him sleep on the couch in his room. One year later, the film was born.
We added songwriters this year, and - wow! Their workshops were well attended, and the musical contributions were outstanding.
The Office Lounge
As a thank you to our paid subscribers, once a month we hold a meeting of our Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members and invite paid subscribers to join us. It’s one perk offered to those who support our work financially.
In my case, paid subscribers support scholarships for emerging writers and working journalists to attend the Okoboji Writers’ and Songwriters’ Retreat.
The Office Lounge will be available today at noon via Zoom. Come meet some of the 60 writers in the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.
The Zoom link for today’s call is below: