“Magical!”  It’s what the participants said last fall about the first ever LoonSong Writers’ Retreat set in the stunning wilderness of northern Minnesota.“The best writing retreat I’ve ever been on!”“Intimate and yet expansive.”“My soul sings.”And it’s going to happen once again, September 7th through the 11th,  2017.  Faculty—and oh, what a faculty!—and participants will gather on the shores of pristine Elbow Lake, so far north in Minnesota as to almost be in Canada, for stimulating lectures and panel discussions, writing prompts and workshops, readings and one-one-one agent, editor and marketing consultations.Last year the retreat filled early.  This year more than half the spots were gobbled up in the first hours registration was open.  But there are still places.  If you are a children’s or young-adult writer at any stage of your career, just-beginning or been-going-for-a-long-time-and-in-need-of-rejuvenation, this retreat is for you.We writers work in such deep isolation, we need one another.  Here’s your opportunity to learn, to refresh, to make connections, to get fired up again.The 2017 faculty?  M.T. Anderson, Gary Schmidt, Eric Rohmann, Candace Fleming.  Can you think of a more stellar cast?  Faye Bender from The Book Group will be there as agent. Jordan Brown, Executive Editor with Walden Pond Press and Balzer+Bray at HarperCollins Children’s Books will be our editor. Vicki and Steve Palmquist of Winding Oak will offer advice as marketing consultants.  And more.Elbow Lake Lodge where we meet is rustic, comfortable, beautiful.  The food, served by the Ojibway Tribe, is outstanding.  Besides time to write, to share, to listen there will be opportunity for kayaking, paddle boat rides, bonfires.  You can even swim if you are the hearty sort!You can fly either into Duluth or into Minneapolis/St. Paul and there are multiple ways—including a shuttle provided by LoonSong—to reach the resort from there.This retreat is the dream child of Debby Dahl Edwardson, graduate of Vermont College of Fine Arts, author of many highly regard books and finalist for the National Book Award.  Growing up, Debby spent her summers on Elbow Lake, and the place inspires her still.  She has always wanted to bring other writers here to share the inspiration, and after a lot of dreaming—and a lot of work—LoonSong is it.LoonSong is sponsored by Vermont College of Fine Arts, and if you’re interested, you’ll have an opportunity to learn about VCFA’s Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults, the first program of its kind and the most highly regarded in the country.But LoonSong isn’t just an introduction to another program.  It is its own place, its own opportunity, its own magic.  Check us out.  You’ll love every minute, and you’ll return home filled to the brim!All the information you need is available at www.loonsong.org.I’ll be there, too.  I hope to see you!