On the grounds of the Hemingway House in Ketchum, Idaho—one of several houses that left an indelible stamp upon the life and work of Ernest Hemingway—the writer Katharine Smyth will lead ten students in exploring the idea of home: where is it, what is it, why does it matter, and how do we conjure it on the page?

In preparation, students will write and share with the group approximately three double-spaced pages about a home that is important to them—this could be a house or an apartment, a place, an idea, a person, a work of art; whatever comes to mind. They will also read the submissions of their fellow workshoppers, making informal notes to share with the group, and the first chapter of Katharine’s memoir, All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf (a PDF will be provided.) These literary offerings will be the jumping-off point for a wide-ranging conversation about both the craft of writing and the vital role that our homes play in our lives.

Timing: 3 hours with a 15-minute break.

Katharine Smyth is a writer based in Brooklyn, NY. After graduating from Brown University, she worked at The Paris Review and taught at Columbia University, where she received her MFA in nonfiction writing. Her essays have appeared in The Atlantic, The Paris Review, The New York Times, Elle, The Point, Literary Hub, and Poets & Writers, among other publications. Her first book, All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf, was published by Crown in 2019 and named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice.