The seminar and workshop are the most important parts of a student’s day, but there’s a lot more to the Studio experience. We walk a careful line between giving our students enough structured events during which to learn from their teachers and counselors and from each other—seminars, workshops, readings, activities—and giving students the free time they need to write.

Morning Reports

Each day begins with Morning Reports, a meeting at which the entire program is assembled (students & staff) and whose purpose is to make sure everyone is up to speed and in sync. We make announcements, alert students to upcoming events, answer questions, and conduct other Studio business.

Stretch

After Morning Reports we have Stretch, a group writing exercise led by a faculty member. Stretch isn’t a somber grind; it’s an engaging and entertaining activity, and gets your brain loose and limber for the writing day.

Observatories

Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, you’ll join a different group of students for Observatories. Observatories are writing exercises, usually outdoors, built around the idea that to describe the world you have to observe it. Nothing, not even imagination, can achieve the level of specificity you get when you observe. Observatories are designed to help you see—to open your eyes and attention to the world around you—and to use this seeing in your writing. You’ll also get a chance to work with a teacher you haven’t worked with before.