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Writing Workshop

with Pam Houston

reserve your spot

Zapata Ranch

October 13 - 20, 2024

Join the renowned author of “Cowboys Are My Weakness” and “Deep Creek” for a week of writing inspired by the creatures and setting of the Zapata Ranch.

The Program

Pam Houston is the author of the memoir, Deep Creek: Finding Hope In The High Country, as well as two novels, Contents May Have Shifted and Sight Hound, two collections of short stories, Cowboys Are My Weakness and Waltzing the Cat, and a collection of essays, A Little More About Me, all published by W.W. Norton.

She teaches in the Low Rez MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, is Professor of English at UC Davis, and co-founder and creative director of the literary nonprofit Writing By Writers.

This workshop will be generative, with participants writing new work inspired by the surrounding ranch and using this physical world to help access our emotional world. Pam will guide you in discussing elements of craft and accessing the ranch and all its creatures and components as metaphor.

We will ride horseback each day in varied landscapes exploring the Great Sand Dunes National park, Medano property amongst bison and historic homesteads, and the stunning Zapata grasslands with 360 degree views of the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges. All riding levels are welcome.

Make a reservation

"My stay at Zapata Ranch for the Pam Houston Writing Workshop exceeded every expectation. I was a little nervous about riding again, but I needn’t have been. Our wranglers were kind, patient and engaging. I had not been on a horse for 40 years, but I quickly felt comfortable trotting and cantering after their coaching. My horse, Tink, could not have been a better match for me. The rides were invigorating, and the scenery was stunning. We held every writing class outside under the watchful gaze of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Pam’s exercises provided the bones on which to build our stories, and the readings at the end of most days allowed us to share what we’d written and—better yet—to hear the stories of fellow students. At Zapata with new friends I found the spark I needed to start writing, and rediscovered the joy of loping on horseback under brilliant blue skies."

Rates

$4270 includes all activities, instruction, and meals. Tax and gratuity not included.

reserve your spot

Pam houston on the zapata

In Pursuit of Radical Joy

By Pam Houston

Time stopped, we say, in moments of great joy or sorrow, but don’t we really mean that a moment of time imprinted itself on us, left its mark on us...

Read more

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Zapata Ranch

Set back in a shady cotton woodgrove beneath the majestic 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains lies the historic Zapata Ranch headquarters and lodge, which was established in the late 1800’s. Elk, mule deer, migratory birds, eagles, and black bear also call this area home. The rooms are beautifully furnished and have an elegant southwestern decor that gives them the feel of home. All rooms have individual tiled bathrooms and views that are private, peaceful, and beautiful in any season.

learn more about Zapata

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