Late in June we held our 3rd annual Ironwood Writers Studio, a week-long residency for high school students interested in creative writing. Students stayed on campus and worked with publishing writers Manuel Iris, Julia Watts, Lacy Snapp, Clint Waters, Jamey Temple, and George Ella Lyon. They also had sessions with local artists and educators Cyan Cox, Moriah Warner, and Tyler Barrett.
The week was full of writing, creating, and community building. Outside of classes, students took a trip to Yoder’s Country Market, the Knott County Farmers Market, and the Appalachian Artisan Center. They had a cosplay contest, trivia tournament, and had plenty of time to relax with each other around campus.
Ironwood is a great opportunity for students throughout the region to develop as writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and also to build a network of creative peers. Students this year attended from across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Since Ironwood is for current high school students, once a student ages out, they are eligible for scholarship to other Settlement School events, and we’re in the process of planning other gatherings and offerings specifically for young adult writers aged 18-25 that would act as bridge for developing writers into such things as the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop.
This year’s Ironwood attendees will have a show at the Art Station in Hazard of their paintings and photography from their classes, as well as publication of their writing in the fall edition of the online literary journal Still: The Journal.
If you’d like to help support Ironwood and our other programming specifically for young writers, please consider donating. You can also buy shirts with each year’s logo in our online store, The Orchard Shop.
Photos by Tyler Barrett, who lead a photography workshop for students during the week.
