David Martin put the following together to provide some perspective on the 2016 edition of the Fine Line summer camp for writers. Check it out below.
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“All good things which exist are fruits of originality.” John Stuart Mill
Fine Lines creates summer writing camps for students of all ages who find peace in language. Our camps are places where writers of all abilities share stories, essays, poems, art, dance, and songs. These small writing communities become centers of metaphorical wisdom.
As “Woody” Gruber, one of our best camp storytellers, likes to say, “Each writer brings a candle of light and insight to the written page, and when those sources of energy are united, they create a lighthouse that shines into the darkness and helps ‘those alone on ships at sea.’ Years ago, Archbishop Fulton Sheen used to have a television show called The Christophers, and his motto for each program was, ‘It is better to light just one candle than to curse the darkness.’ The most important thing writers can do is to light their candles by writing.”
Mary Pipher has the right idea. We should use our writing to change the world. Wouldn’t it be nice if our words brought a little more light of understanding to our own corner of the world? Someday, our campers’ writing might reduce the world’s inequalities and darkness.
Fine Lines’ Creative Writing Summer Camp #17: 2016 Camp Attendance:
- Grades 3-6 39
- Grades 7-8 43
- Grades 9-12 59
- College & Adults 48
- Total Campers 189
2016 Feedback from Campers:
- “I wanted to tell you how much fun my two kids had at camp this year. They made friends from other schools and really enjoyed it! Thank you for everything, we will be attending next summer for sure and usually talk friends into attending as well. It was awesome being at UNO this year!” –Tricia F.
- “Thanks for another wonderful week of writers’ camp! I really enjoyed my time with Fine Lines writers. Have a wonderful 4th!” –Julian A.
- “Thank you! My daughter will definitely return next year. So glad we heard of this camp! Thanks, again!” –Ann C.
- “I cannot fully express the joy of being at camp. That freedom to just write and the challenge of ‘You have 15 minutes left. Now write.’ It was so much fun. Thanks to you and all the Fine Lines team who made it possible. I am blooming. A most excellent week! Thank you.” –Janet B.
- “I did it! I wrote on and on. Attached is my poetry submission for a future Fine Linesissue. Thanks for an inspirational week!” –Kathie H.
- “I am writing you a tiny letter from the Crimea, looking at the wonderful Black Sea and the mountains. I wanted to thank you for my last publication in Fine Lines. It is a big honor to be a part of this project. I hope that your summer camp went well. I will attend next year. I wish you a good summer!” –Katya D.
- “Glad to see the Fine Lines camp has grown. Attending for the first time, years ago, was a defining moment in my life. It taught me that I am a writer! The skills and encouragement I gained then made it possible for me to earn money on a regular basis, as a freelance author and editor. It boosted my desire to help others through the Fine Lines scholarship that allowed me to attend. I reserved a seat for myself and provided for another student, as well. Thank you for creating this amazing opportunity! I live in Illinois and flew in for the week.” –Rhonda B.
- “Great week. Great camp. We did it! You started it! Thanks for everything, David. The younger writers, in particular, just blew me away in 2016! Elena, the cancer survivor, is startlingly wise beyond her sweet years. Just wow. I am so glad that my family and I cut short our vacation in Argentina to attend. This was a memorable experience.” –Maria H.
There is a spirituality in performance. There is a holiness in creative composition. There is freedom in communication. We like people who color outside the lines and write outside the box. We like people who think in original ways. We like people who know what creativity is and how to reach it. We like people who celebrate intuition. Our campers are these people, and they are in the write/right place in our Fine Lines camp.
Fine Lines supports increasing literacy in this community. It is a big job and takes a team effort to achieve these goals. UNO’s English Dept. is part of this team. We look forward to next year’s camp – #18.
“Nothing happens unless first a dream.” –Carl Sandburg
