The Writer's High Retreat Comes to the North Georgia Mountains

New York Times Best-Selling Author Joshilyn Jackson leads the lineup for The Writer’s High Retreat™ 2016 at Brasstown Valley Resort September 9 – 11 in Young Harris, Georgia. Joining Jackson are the award-winning authors Jessica Handler, whose memoir, Invisible Sisters, was named as one of the “Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read”; Michael Morris, whose third novel, Man in the Blue Moon, was named a best book of 2012 by Publishers Weekly; and the poet Clifford Brooks, whose first book of poetry, The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, was nominated for two Pushcarts and a Pulitzer in Poetry.
 
“Many retreat guests told me last year’s debut was ‘magical,’ and they felt energized in a way they’d never experienced before––‘the writer’s high,’” said Mari Ann Stefanelli, retreat founder. “There’s a powerful alchemy that occurs when writers come together in a gorgeous, peaceful setting and are given the time, inspiration, and support they need to breathe life into their writing.” 
 
The Writer’s High Retreat at Brasstown Valley Resort package includes two nights’ accommodations, all retreat presentations, workshops, and events; meals included are Friday and Saturday dinner buffet, lunch buffet Saturday, and breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday. Pricing until June 30 is $754/single and $559/double (per person). Prices include all taxes and gratuities. Space is limited. To register or to get more information, including the full program schedule, visit www.thewritershigh.com.
 
The featured speakers are accomplished authors, well-versed in fiction, nonfiction/memoir, and poetry, and known for their engaging and ground-breaking presentations.
 
Joshilyn Jackson: New York Times best-selling novelist Joshilyn Jackson is the author of seven novels: Someone Else’s Love Story, gods in Alabama, Between, Georgia, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Backseat Saints, and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages, won SIBA’s novel of the year, three times been a #1 Book Sense Pick, twice won Georgia Author of the Year, and three times been shortlisted for the Townsend prize. Her new novel, The Opposite of Everyone, is a “must-read” according to the New York Times Book Review. Find out more HERE.

Clifford Brooks: Clifford’s first book of poetry, The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics has been nominated for two Pushcarts, a Pulitzer in Poetry, and Clifford has been nominated for Georgia Author of the Year. With the attention his literary career has garnered, he has since The Southern Collective Experience and was invited into The Last Ancients. Both of these groups have given Clifford new energy and inspiration to complete his next book, Athena Departs, which will be released later this year.

Jessica Handler: Jessica’s memoir, Invisible Sisters, was named as one of the “Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read” in 2010. She wrote the acclaimed writers’ guide, Braving the Fire: A Guide to Writing About Grief and Loss, to accompany her workshops about the challenges and rewards in writing well about difficult subjects. Her essays and features have appeared on NPR, in Tin House, Drunken Boat, Full Grown People, Brevity, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and More Magazine. Honors for her writing include residencies at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences, a 2010 Emerging Writer Fellowship from The Writers Center in Bethesda, Maryland, the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop, and special mention for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. Jessica is a Visiting Lecturer in English at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.
 
Michael Morris: Michael’s debut novel, A Place Called Wiregrass, won the Christy Award for Best First Novel. The Washington Post compared his second novel, Slow Way Home, to the work of Harper Lee and Flannery O’Connor. It was nationally ranked as one of the top three recommended books by the American Booksellers Association and named one of the best novels of the year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
 Publishers Weekly named Man in the Blue Moon, a best book of 2012. It was also an Indie Next List book club selection – ranking number three on the independent bookseller association’s list of recommended reads. Michael was a finalist for the Southern Book Critics Circle Award, and his essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Dallas Morning News, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
 
FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia, is the bookseller for the event, and FoxTale staff will be available all day Saturday for book sales.

The Writer’s High Retreat™ is presented by The Writer's High, LLC, a professional writing and editing service for authors, businesses, and individuals. Additional sponsors include Atlanta Writers Club, Tinderbox Writers Workshop, The Southern Collective Experience, Sensei Project, an award-winning group of social media experts; McCurdy Life Coach, an executive coaching service, and Crane Creek Vineyards.