The Spanish word mustengo means “ownerless beast” and aptly describes the free-roaming and iconic mustangs of the American West. Unharnessed and running wild, mustangs represent strength, freedom and endurance. These attributes will serve as inspiration for writers to let their prose and poetry loose during a three-day Nature Writing Intensive with local author and poet Ellen Waterston, Writing Wild Horses, a collaboration between Waterston’s Writing Ranch and the High Desert Museum, will he held October 17-19 at the Museum.
“Mustangs are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West,” said Christina Cid, Ph. D., director of programs at the High Desert Museum. “These incredible creatures have inspired many works of literary and visual arts.”
Participants will draw inspiration from guest speakers and Museum naturalists, as well as the Museum’s mustang, Sage, while exploring writing techniques and indulging in the literal and metaphorical aspects of these wild creatures. Class size is limited to 15.
A reception and lecture – Seeking Solutions Part 1: Mustang Population Management– will follow the last session of the workshop. Workshop participants may invite a guest to the reception and lecture on October 19 for free. A panel of speakers, including Julie Weikel, DVM and Lisa Grant, Rangeland Management Specialist with the BLM, will address experiences and research about management of mustang populations on public lands. This program starts at 6:00 pm and costs $3 for members and $7 for non-members. Cost for the three-day workshop is $220.
Bend resident Waterston is a poet, author and literary arts advocate. Her most recent title, Vía Láctea: A Woman of a Certain Age Walks the Camino, 2013, is a verse novel based on walking the Camino de Santiago in 2012. She has been awarded numerous writing awards, fellowships and residencies, and her work has appeared in many journals and reviews. She founded the Writing Ranch in 2000 and is dedicated to supporting the craft and careers of writers through workshops, retreats, and one-on-one tutorials.
To register and pre-pay for the workshop, visit www.highdesertmuseum.org/nature-writing or call Ann Arbow at 541-382-4754 ext. 241.