After some years, our press is returning to Idlewild, Michigan for the 2nd annual conference. Every year since we first appeared there, people have been asking when we would return. We were waiting for the right time, and the time is now. Take a look at the words of one of our registrants from the first conference, who now serves on our faculty this year, Qiana Towns:

I like to think of Idlewild as an amalgamation of Michigan and black histories. My grandparents belonged to the group of black middle class professionals who summered at Idlewild during a time when vacation locales for people of color were few. My grandmother, God rest her soul, smiled big every time she spoke of the times when she’d travel with my grandfather, aunts, and uncles. I carried the spirit of their summers with me as I traveled to Idlewild for the 2010 Idlewild Writers’ Conference to commune with fellow writers and thinkers.

I remember there was a moment after my workshop when we gathered in a small room. The space was overcrowded and the chatter did not end. I stood near a corner and relished the moment. Not long after someone came to ask if I’d like to be interviewed about my experience at Idlewild. I don’t remember what I said; I only remember trying my hardest to be serious when my heart and mind were overrun with joy and love.

Later in the week, the same emotions returned as we sat near Paradise Lake at one of the conference’s closing events. As I recall, one of the residents talked at length about the history of Idlewild. She spoke of the movement to revitalize the community and to share the story of Idlewild with the world. Her words felt like a charge to carefully and dutifully continue to tell our stories.

The Idlewild Writers’ Conference transcended personal and professional aims and asked us—the keepers of history—to embrace the sacredness of our work. It was not a moment to be concerned with publication or vitae. It was reminded each of us that our roles as writers and thinkers came with a level of responsibility void of self-interest. I carry this message with me each time I return to the page. I recognize, especially in these times, that our history and contributions to this country are under attack. Our bodies are under attack. The work is as urgent and necessary as it has ever been.

2nd Annual Idlewild Writers Conference

August 9-10, 2024

Register Here