Homer Archives - Julia O'Malley

Write with me this summer on Yukon Island

Julia O'Malley — Thu, 19 May 2016 06:07:25 +0000

This summer my themes are creativity and regeneration. And that’s what this weekend workshop is all about. This is a no-judgement, no-homework, nonfiction workshop focused on techniques that stoke creativity, build writing fluency, hone listening/editing skills and develop revision strategies. This workshop is well suited for creative thinkers who write or edit for work as well as creative writers and journalists looking for new ways to get started or reboot. Our work together is meant to help you think more clearly about your audience, better say what you mean, and find the most resonant parts of the story you are trying to tell.

It will be held at the glorious Yukon Island Retreat Center a short boat ride out of Homer.

(Here is a slideshow from a retreat held there last year.)

Here is the glassy water from the beach:

The creative writing process is informed by other creative pursuits. To that end, this weekend will include beach walks, nature walks and optional mini-sessions on pie-baking and naturalist watercolor-painting with Tommy O’Malley, my uncle, a wilderness guide, longtime Alaska artist and, most importantly, an international pie-baking champion. There’s a sample of his work down there. (Neri helped put the hole in the crust.)

(Here’s one of my most popular posts: Step-by-step with Uncle Tommy: Best Pie Crust Ever)

The workshop will be held July 22-24.

The cost, which includes instruction, two nights lodging, meals, supplies and water taxi from Homer is $525 per person. Alaska Press Club members receive a $25 discount.

Space is limited to eight people. To reserve a spot, email me.

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Summer Retreat: Write + Cook in Homer with NYT’s Sam Sifton

Julia O'Malley — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 21:14:50 +0000

Maybe you're a writer who wants to learn more about cooking or maybe you're a cook who wants to learn more about writing. Or maybe you're practiced at both. Any way you lean, this workshop has something to offer.

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See Alaska: A beach walk on Yukon Island

Julia O'Malley — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:45:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, I taught a writing retreat on Yukon Island in Kachemak Bay, hosted by Gretchen (and her sister Melissa) at the Yukon Island Center. What a marvelous trip. And the food. Don’t get me started. I first went to Yukon in the summers as a child (And my mom before me). The place is magic.

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Write with me in beautiful Homer, AK!

Julia O'Malley — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 18:39:01 +0000

FRIENDS: THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. Write me if you’d like to be notified if there is a second one!

I’m hosting a two-day storytelling retreat this summer in Homer on beautiful Yukon Island, July 24 -26. This retreat is an intimate, no-homework, no-pressure opportunity to generate material and improve storytelling and listening skills in a positive environment. The workshop, especially suited for people who write for their jobs, will center on personal storytelling while relying on techniques that have broad applications in writing and reporting work. You will leave with tools that help you write more fluidly, listen more effectively and tap into your innate ability to organize and tell interesting stories that connect with readers.

There are 10 workshop slots available. The cost for two days writing on the island is $425, which includes lodging and food. Transportation by water taxi is an additional $65. I can offer up to five discounted slots for working, early-career journalists. Alaska Press Club members get $25 off.

Please email me by May 15 if you’re interested in participating: juliaeomalley@gmail.com. You must pay in full to reserve your slot (or make other arrangements). Paypal preferred. First come, first served. I promise you’ll have a great time.

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For Eater National: “Eating Well at the End of the Road” about food, family and Homer

Julia O'Malley — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 16:58:00 +0000

From Eater: “Eating well at the end of the road”

Emily Garrity only had to shoot one pig before she figured out that the best way to kill them was publicly, in front of all the other pigs at the trough. I thought it sounded barbaric on the face of it but, she told me later, it’s actually not so bad.

In the beginning, when she was teaching herself to slaughter and butcher, she sequestered the animal before delivering a bullet to its brain. She thought it would be more respectful to let it face its end privately. Plus, there were the feelings of the other pigs to consider. What would it do to them to see one of their own go out by gunshot?

It turned out that being alone with the doomed animal just made both Emily and the pig nervous, like an awkward first date with a homicidal conclusion. And, they say, adrenaline isn’t good for the meat… Read more here.

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