A week in the embrace of a Community of Writers

By

Dennis Arp

If you’ve noticed this week that the prose in Happenings is even more sparkling than usual, it might be because Dawn Bonker, the primary voice of this news blog, last week gained insights from the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley near Lake Tahoe. Examples of her fiction earned her an invitation to the gathering, which for 41 summers

has brought together poets and prose writers for separate weeks of workshops, individual conferences, lectures, panels, readings and discussions of the craft and the business of writing. Now she has returned to share tales of critiques by David Sedaris’ editor, nature hikes with the literary creme de la Cali, and indulging the affections of Amy Tan’s miniature Yorkie. You can sample her writing in the recently published anthology
Wild Edges
(
Manzanita Writers Press)
, showcasing poetry and prose of the Mother Lode and Sierra. Or just engage her in a chat when you see her on campus. She’s eager to swap stories now that she’s back in her home community here at Chapman.