Sawtooth Writing Retreat
Apply Now! Space Limited!
Apply before July 1, 2025 and receive a 10% discount.
Returnees will receive a 20% discount.
Invite a friend and receive a 20% discount.
Elevate your writing under the stars in the Idaho mountains that inspired Ernest Hemingway.
Join us to reflect and write in a secluded mountain camp 17 miles from Ketchum, Idaho.
About the Retreat
Closed captions are available and a text transcript is provided on this page.
Sawtooth Writing Retreat Details
Writing Instruction
Designed for adults who wish to elevate their writing skills and connect with a community of serious writers, this 3-day retreat will provide instruction from award-winning authors, Kim Cross and Paul Bogard.
Beyond the Page
- Hiking and fly fishing on property (bring your own rod)
- Star-gazing through professional telescopes with experienced astronomers
- Campfire lectures and readings
Food and Lodging
Meal plans available, lodging available in rustic summer camp cabins, tent camping and RV sites are also options (included). Private lodging (at your own cost) is available in nearby Ketchum.
Details
Dates: 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 through noon Sunday, September 21, 2025
Location: Central Idaho 4-H Camp
Getting there: The camp is a 2½ hour drive from Boise Airport
Author Bios
Paul Bogard is the author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light, a finalist for the PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His most recent works include the edited anthology Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World, the coffee table book To Know a Starry Night, and the children’s book What if Night? Paul is an associate professor of English at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota USA, where he teaches environmental literature and writing. Find him at paul-bogard.com.
Kim Cross is a New York Times best-selling author and journalist known for meticulously reported narrative nonfiction. A full-time freelance writer, she has bylines in the New York Times, Nieman Storyboard, Outside, Bicycling, Garden & Gun, CNN.com, ESPN.com, and USA Today. Her work has been recognized in “Best of” lists by the the New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review, The Sunday Longread, Longform, Apple News Audio, and Best American Sports Writing. She teaches Feature Writing for Harvard Extension School.
Video Transcript
[Music]
[Title screen] Sawtooth Writing Retreat Central Idaho
[Text on screen] “The opportunity to connect with other writers, all at different stages of our journeys, was inspiring.” – student 2023
[Narrator] Elevate your writing in the Idaho mountains that inspired Ernest Hemingway. Designed for people of all ages who wish to develop their writing skills and connect with a community of writers. Instruction from award-winning authors, Paul Bard and Kim cross. Paul is the author of End of Night and The Ground Beneath Us. Kim is author of What Stands in a Storm and In Light of All Darkness. Participants will write about their surroundings write in groups, work one-on-one with authors, and on their own.
[Text on screen] “If you are a new writer serious about your craft, you need to attend this retreat.” – student 2023
The Retreat includes delicious locally grown food prepared on site. There are evening talks by biologists about the Sawtooth environment.
Students will enjoy bonfire chats, hot springs, hikes, fishing and more.
[Text on screen] “The retreat filled my cup, reignited my creativity, and challenged me to be open, honest, and curious.” – student 2023
The Sawtooth Writing Retreat takes place within the boundaries of America’s First International Dark Skies Reserve. During the day you have the beautiful view of the Sawtooth’s but at night, boy, do the stars come out.
[Text on screen] “five stars under the stars.” – student 2023
We bring in experienced astronomers with professional telescopes for stargazing. The telescopes are so powerful that you can even view far away spiral galaxies.
[Text on screen] “Bring your heartfelt works and ideas. You won’t regret it.” – student 2023
Come join us for a memorable experience at the Sawtooth Writing Retreat
[Text on screen] Sawtooth Writing Retreat, www.boisestate.edu/hemingway, Hemingway@boisestate.edu, September 19-22, 2024
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