Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Twenty: 2012 Application Open!

Dear Young Writer,

The Twenty: A Kentucky Young Writers Advance is a small but diverse group of young writers between the ages of 19–22, who exhibit great seriousness and jubilant promise in their writing. These young writers, chosen to participate in a week-long summer intensive, hail from both rural and urban Kentucky enclaves. Good writing the world over asks the reader not to retreat but to lean forward. Helping launch the work of young writers means defining this difference aloud. We live in a vibrant and changing world. There is no time for retreat. Instead, The Twenty will step forward with their imagined characters, their creative worlds, their passions close at hand.

The summer intensive week will offer much to The Twenty:
* A meeting of other writing minds: writing workshops, lectures and a young writers community;
* Time to write and the expectation that young writers will
write;
* Access to published poets and writers;
* The rare and significant opportunity to see what their
ideas and words become.

The 2012 advance will take place at the historic Hindman School in Hindman, Kentucky, the week of June 24-29, 2012. We cordially invite you to submit a manuscript by Monday, March 5, 2012 following the below guidelines:

* A cover letter of intent stating why you would benefit from an experience such as the one The Twenty offers. Please include your full name, a current phone number, permanent mailing address, and stable email address in your cover letter.
* 8-10 pages of your most exemplary writing. This may mean 10 poems, a short story, an excerpt from a longer work of prose or script, or some combination of these elements.
* Hard copies may be mailed to the following address: The Twenty: A Kentucky Young Writers Advance c/o Nikky Finney, University of Kentucky, Patterson Office Tower 1215, Lexington, KY 40506. Electronic copies may be submitted on The Twenty website at the following URL: http://www.uky.edu/youngwriters/.

Letters of acceptance will be sent to applicants in the Spring of 2012. To learn more about The Twenty, feel free to “Like” us on Facebook, or you can log on to our website: http://www.uky.edu/youngwriters/.

Please forward this announcement to anyone you think might be interested, and send any inquiries about the application process to: 20youngwriters@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

The Twenty Organizing Committee

Monday, February 6, 2012

Slideshow from 2011's Advance

The Twenty featured in pluck! Issue 7

The Twenty class of 2011 is showcased in pluck! The Affrilachian Journal of Arts and Culture Issue 7. Featuring essays by Nikky Finney, Chaney Williams, and poems by, Greg Smith, Stephen Rodriguez, Deri Pryor, Sosha Pinson, Chungyen Chang, Holly Mitchell, and a photo essay by Hendrick Floyd!

To get a copy of pluck!, you can order an issue by sending a check for $15 to:

pluck!
c/o Frank X Walker
1215 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506

Please indicate which issue you'd like and a permanent mailing address so we can ship you a copy. Individual subscriptions are $30 (two issues a year) and institutional subscriptions are $100.


EXCERPT from the essay "Being One With These Hills" by Chaney Williams

There is a line in James Still’s poem “Heritage” that says, “Being one with these hills I cannot go away,” and after attending The Twenty: Young Writer’s Advance at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, KY, I can say that “I will not leave these hills.” The Hindman has permeated my skin and soul. The solitude of the mountains have left their coal tattoo. It has soothed the longing I had for the stillness that comes when you are sitting on a back porch, journal and pen in hand watching the sun disappear behind the mountains to meet the twilight sky. Hindman was the perfect place to cultivate my once thirsty soul for creative writing that had been battered by my first two years of academic essays and research papers.

I was able to find foot once again in these hills surrounded by a nurturing staff of teachers whose own passion for the spoken and written and word can be seen in every breath of their being. All of the staff humbly answered our relentless questions and set the tone of the advance with an atmosphere that was welcoming. They pushed us young writers to soak up the solitude of Hindman and encouraged us to dedicate time pursuing our craft. Every one of our teachers from Crystal Wilkinson to Jan Isenhour, with their down-to-earth personalities and their awe inspiring work made the advance that much more unique. I was introduced to topics that hadn’t been covered in previous writing programs from independent publishing to the technical and grammatical side of writing. Nikky Finney mothered us with fierce encouragement and comforting words telling us that whether we wanted writing to be our career or not that we all had a unique voice that Kentucky needs to hear. These words alone are ones I clutch to in a day and age where the arts are not valued. These are words that I have consoled me when I am surrounded by textbooks and flashcards telling me that I should find time for my craft because I want my voice to be shared. I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity especially in a world where there are few retreats or conferences for young writers particularly of this awkward college age.

Before this program in Kentucky it seems that once you have graduated high school there is a lack of resources of growth experiences for young writers and The Twenty filled this gap beautifully. My time here I lapped up whether I was roaming the tranquil grounds with the sun beaming down on my face or enjoying the comforting caress of a rocking chair while sitting on the front porch of the Maystone Building writing and talking with my fellow Twenty-ers.