My Adventures in Jackson Hole ...

Just got back from the Jackson Hole Writers’ Conference, and a nine-day, two-conference travel tour. The second stop was Wyoming, and I was instructing at the JHWC and also critiquing work from writers. I got to kick off the entire conference taking Q&A about magazine craft and business with Peoplestaffer Allison Adato.

Author:: Chuck Sambuchino
Publish date:: Jun 28, 2009

On Friday night, I gave my longest speech of all time—two and a half hours straight. It took three speeches to fill the time, but the attendees seemed pleased and I got a nice little ovation at the end. If I live to be 100 years old, I may never give a speech that long again.

Before my mega-presentation on Friday
night, I played some piano as attendees
gathered. (You can see the writers
massing and sitting down in the reflection
behind me.)

Jackson Hole is at the northwest corner of Wyoming, and is an amazingly beautiful little city that sits at the base of the Grand Teton Mountains. When not instructing, I did get out to see a good deal of the area. I hiked around Jenny Lake and Taggart Lake. I got to raft down the Snake River. Animals on display included Moose, bald eagles and elk. I talked to some people who came across bears, but I saw no bears myself (thank God). I’ve heard that bears hate to be startled, so I basically sang to myself the entire three-hour hike trip.

All presenters at the event are treated
to a spectacular treat: a hot air balloon
ride up above the city and mountains.
This picture above of two balloons was
taken by me from a third balloon while
up in the air.

The conference happens every year around the end of June and includes having 15 pages of your work read by three different presenters. Agents are present, too. It’s a pretty good deal in an amazing location, so think about heading there in 2010.