June 21 – 27, 2025
The Poetry Program at the Community of Writers is founded on the belief that when poets gather in a community to write new poems, each poet may well break through old habits and write something stronger and truer than before. To help this happen we work together to create an atmosphere in which everyone might feel free to try anything.
Director: Brenda Hillman.
Tuition for the Poetry Program is $1560 and includes six evening meals. Financial aid is available; requests for financial aid can be made in the Application Form. Admissions are based on submitted poems. Please Note: Tuition does not include housing costs. See Housing and Meals. See Fees & Deadlines, below.
Note: We make no admissions decisions before all the submissions have been read and evaluated. The Application Form link is at the bottom of the page. Please make sure to read all the information here before applying.
If you are an alum of the Poetry week, please see our returning poet guidelines.
Please refer to our Health Guidelines before applying.
Deadline for receipt of application/submission is March 10, 2025.
Anthony Cody • Forrest Gander • Brenda Hillman • Jane Miller • Gregory Pardlo • Evie Shockley
Click on the author portraits to learn about these poets and their work. Or View as List.
Daily Schedule
In the mornings we meet in workshops to read to each other the work of the previous twenty-four hours; each participant will have an opportunity to work with each staff poet. In the late afternoons we gather for a conversation about some aspect of craft. On several late afternoons staff poets hold brief individual conferences.
View /Print Sample Schedule of Events
Other Opportunities
Nature Walks
Naturalist Will Richardson will lead several informative early morning walks up Shirley Canyon. This is an opportunity to learn from a professional naturalist about the biology of this valley. These walks are suitable for almost all fitness levels and are free of charge.
Benefit Poetry Reading
On Wednesday evening during Poetry week, Anthony Cody, Forrest Gander, Brenda Hillman, Jane Miller, Gregory Pardlo, and Evie Shockley will read from their published and unpublished work, including poems written in Olympic Valley just days before. This fundraiser will be a hybrid event and will be live-streamed to our alums and the public. Proceeds benefit the 2026 Community of Writers Poetry Scholarship Fund.
Olympic Valley, CA
Olympic Valley is in the California Sierra Nevada, close to the north shore of Lake Tahoe. Our gathering is held in the ski area there, now called Palisades Tahoe, which was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics. Palisades Tahoe provides venues for our programs each summer. Many of our events take place in the Olympic House, the lodge at the foot of the ski area.
Summers are warm and sunny; participants and teaching staff will have opportunities to hike to the local waterfalls, take guided nature walks up the mountain, swim in Lake Tahoe, or bike along the Truckee River.
In summer, the weather is changeable; days are usually warm/hot and dry (70°- 90°) and nights are cool (40°- 50°). The elevation of the valley floor is 6200 feet. Those with sensitivities to high elevation should consult their doctor.
Housing Options
The Community of Writers rents condominiums at the Village in Palisades Tahoe and a few private houses in the valley for participants to live in during the week of the conference. If, when you are invited, you would like us to arrange your accommodations, you may choose to stay in shared houses or in The Village at Palisades Tahoe. There may be different genders in the same unit. Every unit has a kitchen and is supplied with linens.
Room types and availability are limited and are reserved on a first-request basis.
* Fees may change slightly without notice.
Meals
Dinners are provided at the Olympic House, our headquarters for the week. We can accommodate most vegetarian diets, but if you have a particular food allergy, we may not be able to prepare special meals for you. Weather permitting, participants and teaching staff eat together outdoors.
We provide a basic snackbar where you can purchase low-cost coffee, tea, hard-boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, home-made muffins, and PB&J sandwiches. There are several cafes and restaurants in Olympic Valley. Preparing your own breakfasts and lunches is the cost-effective and recommended option. Our Name
Some time ago, we changed the name by dropping the long-used place name for where we hold our summer writing workshops. We recognize this name has a painful and derogatory legacy which has been disrespectful to the Native American community. We are now known as the Community of Writers. The ski area is now called Palisades Tahoe. We call the place Olympic Valley or just the valley. For years writers have used the old name as shorthand to refer to our Writing Workshops. We hope you will join us and choose not to use the name in that context.
Our Name
Some time ago, we changed the name by dropping the long-used place name for where we hold our summer writing workshops. We recognize this name has a painful and derogatory legacy which has been disrespectful to the Native American community. We are now known as the Community of Writers. The ski area is now called Palisades Tahoe. We will call the place Olympic Valley or just the Valley. For years writers have used the old name as shorthand to refer to our Writing Workshops in the summer. We hope you will join us and choose not to use the name in that context.
A Message to our Community About our Community.
Lake Tahoe
On Tuesday we will go to Lake Tahoe for the afternoon and evening. We’ll host a friendly softball game, a fun, low-stakes, high-energy CoW tradition emphasizing mutual aid and not competitiveness. All are welcome. Cheering from the bleachers encouraged.
The softball game will be followed by a BBQ picnic at the spectacular Skylandia Beach on the Lake. Poets may swim, hike the nearby trails to view abundant wildflowers, or just relax. We return to Olympic Valley at nightfall.
Fees & Deadlines
| POETRY WORKSHOP | |
|---|---|
| Program Dates | June 21-27, 2025 |
| Deadline to Apply | March 10, 2025 (before midnight PST) |
| Application Fee | $35 |
| Acceptance Notification | On or before April 16, 2025 |
| Deposit - Nonrefundable | A deposit of $950 will be due upon acceptance. (Awards of financial aid may reduce this amount.) |
| Deposit Deadline | April 26, 2025 |
| Tuition | $1,560* |
| Housing | Not included in tuition. See Housing & Meals. CW-arranged lodging payment due May 15. |
| Tuition Balance | Due on or before June 14, 2025 |
| Registration/First Day of Conference | Monday, June 21, 2025 |
| Returnees | Returning Poetry Lottery Information & Application |
| Financial Aid & Scholarships | View Financial Aid Information |
| Application Form | Apply Now (Poetry) |
*Tuition may change slightly without notice.
Application Guidelines
- Deadline for receipt of application/submission: March 10, 2025 (11:59 PM, PST)
- Are you an alum of the program? Please see our returning poet guidelines.
- Submission should consist of four or five pages of recent poems, typed, 12 pt.
- Put your name in the upper right-hand corner of each page.
- Attach a digital file (PDF or Word doc) of your submission ms. to the online application form.
- A $35 reading fee will be due with application & submission, payable by check or credit card, online. Checks should be made out to Community of Writers and mailed to:
Community of Writers – Poetry
PO Box 1416
Nevada City, CA 95959 - Notification of acceptance by April 16, 2025.
- Please note: Once you have submitted your application online, you will immediately receive an email confirmation. If you don’t get that confirmation, we didn’t receive your application. If that is the case, contact us immediately.