Louisa May Alcott: Concord, Massachusetts

October 11 - October 14, 2018

Join “Common Ground” for our first pilgrimage in which we will treat writing as a sacred practice and celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publishing of Little Women. We will gather in prime New England foliage season in Concord, MA. to spend three days and nights reading, walking and writing on the hallowed ground where Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott and Hawthorne lived, walked, loved and wrote.

We will spend these days asking ourselves one key question; what role do we want writing play in our lives? We will ask this question of ourselves, of each other and of Louisa May Alcott’s classic work of genius, Little Women.

Each day will include time for writing, discussion, spiritual practices, walks and lectures led by Vanessa Zoltan, co-host of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. We will gather on Thursday, October 11th in time for dinner and a welcome discussion. On Friday the 12th we will talk, write, practice and walk. On Saturday the 13th we will talk, write, practice and walk. And Sunday morning we will do a final discussion and writing session and end right before lunch at noon.

This trip will include a visit to Walden Pond and Louisa May Alcott’s former house, Orchard House, where she wrote Little Women. It will also include guest lecturers who will join us and share their expertise. In addition, each day, we will gather for writing workshops, spiritual writing practices, and discussions of craft. We hope you can join us. 

What's Included:

  • 3 nights at Concord Colonial Inn (shared or private room)

  • All meals from dinner on Thursday night through breakfast on Sunday morning

  • Lectures from experts on writing and Little Women

  • Organized small group time and writing exercises

  • One-on-one chaplaincy

  • Admission to Orchard House and excursion to Walden Pond

  • Parking on premises

Logistics:

  • Registration is first-come, first-served.

  • We will reach out to the first twelve registrants with a link to make an initial deposit by June 15th.

  • The rest of the deposit will be due on August 15th. The list of registrants will act as a waitlist, and we will continue down the form respondents until all the spots are filled.

  • If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at readingandwalkingwith@gmail.com