Taos: Week Two

The Taos routine is by now well established: breakfast, assemble for class, my daily lecture, critique some stories, lunch, Walter's daily lecture, read and write in preparation for the next day. However, a few events vary this. This is a ski lift I rode up on Sunday, to a dizzying 11,500 feet:

Also on Sunday, Jack Skillingstead gave his guest lecture, an honest examination of one writer's journey toward publication, including the internal fears and discouragements that can inhibit writing.

Monday brought hard rain and a power outage. Everyone looked for non-existent flashlights, lit candles, and worked by computer-display light until batteries ran low. Ah, wilderness.

Memorable critique lines:

"I think you should grab the reader by the reproductive organs and go on from there!"

"I need more parasols."

"I like the idea of media people beating each other senseless -- it should be done more often."