Winter in the Wallowas

Dear Fishtrap Friends,

Season's Greetings from Wallowa County and all of us at Fishtrap. I took my morning walk today, sunny, gorgeous, and a crisp 15 degrees out. I thought I'd share the view that greeted me as I headed up into Iwetemlaykin, the Oregon State Parks Heritage Site just outside the town of Joseph. I was about ten steps further down the trail from this scene and a fox bounded into sight fifty yards ahead, paused, sat down, and considered me before heading on. I walked slowly along as she or he played hide and seek with me for another five minutes or so before rounding a bend out of sight.

I then headed off in a different direction, only to see this lady to your left poised at the top of the ridge, (look to the right of the trees). Turned out she was with four sister does. The others were resting on the ground but jumped up and took off when two humans and a dog approached from a trail on the other side. The does' day had begun. And so, magically, had mine.

Scenes like this are so frequent they become almost commonplace when you live here. Which brings me to say, if you haven't visited Wallowa County in winter, you are definitely missing out on something special. So, why not join us for Winter Fishtrap, February 25-27? Iwetemlaykin in the lovely Nimipuu (Nez Perce) language means "at the edge of the lake." Come sit with us at the other edge of Wallowa Lake and join the conversation about what "Getting Small" can mean to a life and a planet.

There is still room at the Inn (in this case, Wallowa Lake Lodge!), which is closed for the rest of the winter and only opens that one stretch in February for Fishtrap. We're adding new elements to the program all the time. In addition to the core presentations by Winona LaDuke, Charles Goodrich and Tammy Strobel, we'll have music and other fun with Kate Power and Steve Einhorn, writing time with Amy Minato, and most likely a local "slow food" guest chef on Saturday night. Great fun on the bus ride out Interstate 84 from Portland for those of you who live in that corridor or want to depart from Portland. It's stacking up to be an amazing weekend. If you register and pay your balance in full by December 21, you'll receive a discount on your registration. You can sign up and make secure payment online with a credit card or PayPal account, or by calling Fishtrap at 541-426-3623.

We just learned yesterday that the Lodge's cabins will be available for Winter Fishtrap participants again this year for a few days before and after our event. There are only a few cabins available, so if you are interested, give us a call or write to jon@fishtrap.org.

Help Fishtrap Wrap Up 2010 In Strength

The other deadline coming up is the December 31st deadline to make a donation to Fishtrap and receive a tax deduction for 2010. Oregon residents are reminded to support the Oregon Cultural Trust at the same time and you'll get a tax credit that offsets your donation (up to $500 for individuals and $1000 for couples). Fishtrap relies on the support of our extended community to support all our programs, including Summer and Winter Fishtrap. Our costs to produce these events are not covered by registration fees. Your donations also enable us to provide writing instruction and inspiration to youth all across Eastern Oregon and to produce Wallowa County's Big Read program, which last year reached 2300 people in a county of only 7000. The book everyone will be reading over the holidays this year to get ready for the Big Read kick-off on January 9 is Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. No matter where you are, read along and join the fun!

You can donate online at www.fishtrap.org right up until midnight on December 31. Checks written and postmarked on or before December 31 will also be credited for 2010.

No donation is too small... and we ask those of you who can to give generously. Your support in any amount is deeply appreciated.

Fishtrap Fellowships
Each year, we award up to five full fellowships to emerging writers to attend Summer Fishtrap free of charge. The Fellows are selected based on submission of work and a statement of interest. The purpose and spirit of the Fishtrap Fellowship program has always been to give a leg-up to writers who may not yet be publicly recognized through other channels, such as MFA programs, publications or other fellowships and awards. This year, to ensure that we are serving our particular audience, we will also be asking for a complete resume. The screeners and final judge will have the benefit of this personal information as they evaluate the candidates. We hope this process will encourage those of you just starting out to consider applying, as well as writers who may have been at it for a while but be ready to make a new leap. If you are interested, please send an email to me at barbara@fishtrap.org with "Fishtrap Fellowship 2011" in the subject line and we'll send you the formal application guidelines, which will be available in early January. More information on the Fishtrap Fellowship program, including a list of past recipients, is available at www.fishtrap.org.

Summer Fishtrap 2011: Migrations & Passages
Workshop leaders confirmed so far include: Joanne Mulcahy, Elizabeth (Beth) Taylor, Robert (Bob) Pyle, Rosanne Parry, Gary Ferguson and Myrlin Hepworth, with others you'll love in conversation with us now. The Gathering will also be amazing, with confirmations so far from Pramila Jayapal, Eva Castellanoz, David Laskin, and Ellen Waterston, who will be joined in conversation by our workshop faculty. The Saturday night featured speaker is 90% confirmed, so we hope to have an announcement soon. We think you'll be thrilled. Block these dates: July 10-17. And, if you were closed out last year due to how quickly things filled, be assured that we are taking steps to open up more workshop spots this year. Watch for more details on all of this coming in January.

Yearlong Writing Workshop with Karen Fisher
Details on the application process for the upcoming Yearlong Writing Workshop in Historical Fiction with Karen Fisher will be out on the website the first week of January. We'll remind you in the next newsletter. Meanwhile, if you haven't read Karen's extraordinary novel, A Sudden Country, we recommend it. You'll discover why we are so excited to have her return this year to teach and lead our next Yearlong Workshop.

Those interested in applying should start putting together up to 20-pages of written work to submit and a 5-page letter describing the project they hope to dive into with Karen's help. February submission deadlines and more info coming soon, as promised!

Fishtrap Executive Director Search Is Open
The Fishtrap Board is actively seeking the next Executive Director. Please spread the word far and wide. We are looking for someone with a strong administrative and management background, a passion for literature and a devotion to Fishtrap's mission in particular. Must also long to see fox and deer along the trail... or at least enjoy small town life. Details here.

And now, a few notes to catch up on doings here the past month or so...

Molly Gloss at Fishtrap
A huge thanks to author Molly Gloss for the rich presentation she gave at the Fishtrap Coffin House in early November. Her talk, entitled "Alone in Her Room," was generously sponsored by the local chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). In advance of her visit, Molly sent the following thought: "As readers, we all know the feeling of falling wholly inside a novel, losing ourselves in a world that was imagined and made real by some writer sitting alone in her room. I want to speak about that intersection where writers and readers meet on the page—the synergy that happens every time a reader opens a book and falls in. And of course every writer begins to be a writer by first being a reader, so I also want to share how my own writing life and my work have been shaped by the books I have fallen into--especially books by women." It was a great talk, and we are hopeful it might become an essay at some point, so it can be shared more widely. But on November 6, it was standing room only here at Fishtrap.

Welcome Jon Rombach
Many of you may have had the pleasure of sharing a workshop or writing group, time at the Summer Fishtrap Outpost or the Imnaha Writers' Retreat, a float on the river with Winding Waters (where he formerly was a river guide), or a beer at TG with Jon in the past. Please join us in welcoming him as the newest member of the Fishtrap staff. Jon is serving as Fishtrap Program Coordinator and will be helping out with the full array of our programs. Among other things, he'll be taking the reins from Janis Carper for many of the event registration logistics for Summer and Winter Fishtrap so she can concentrate more time and attention on the Fishtrap website, the Anthology, and a variety of other publication and graphic design projects. Jon also writes a regular column for the Wallowa County Chieftain and is a former radio personality on local station KWVR. We feel very lucky to have Jon as an official member of the Fishtrap team.

Recent Travel Series at Fishtrap
Kathy Hunter, Jean Falbo and the dynamic duo of Liza Jane Nichols and Adele Nash recently presented slides and reflections of their international travels in three separate events here at the Fishtrap Coffin House. Kathy journeyed to China with a group of storytellers, gathered stories, and learned what it means to be a fair skinned redhead in a culture that reveres both. Jean and Clem Falbo made a trek to Europe to visit the great opera houses and shared humorous and inspiring highlights and history with us. And this week, "slow food" activists and mother-daughter team Liza Jane Nichols and Adele Nash regaled us with tales of their recent trip to Turino, Italy, as U.S. representatives of the slow food movement. Each of these events packed the Fishtrap house, even on dark, slippery nights. A huge Santa bundle of thanks to all four presenters.

Those of you attending Winter Fishtrap might just get a chance to hear a mini version of Liza Jane and Adele's presentation, and even taste some of the food they and other slow foodies produce here in Wallowa County. Just one more reason to sign up...

On behalf of the entire Fishtrap staff and board, here's wishing you a peaceful and kind holiday season.

Barbara Dills
Interim Executive Director

PS: Write to us to let us know how Fishtrap has changed your writing or reading life. We love to include those personal stories in reports to the foundations that support us so generously. With thanks!