49 Writers has announced that they'll host author David Vann at a retreat at Tutka Bay Lodge, Sept. 3-5. Vann's most recent triumph was an award in France, reported here in June.

A press release from the group quoted Vann describing what would be involved in the retreat, priced at $395. “In our four 90-minute craft sessions, we’ll be looking at a range of short published works (which I’ll make available beforehand). We’ll study these works for style and voice, landscape description, characterization, and dramatic structure. Authors will include Annie Proulx, Marilynne Robinson, Elizabeth Bishop, Cormac McCarthy, Ray Carver, Flannery O’Connor, Nabokov, and others. We’ll have several brief writing exercises that explore what we’ve discussed, and we’ll consider the writing process a bit, including development and revision. “

Plus, you'll be on one of the nicest beaches in Alaska in what is sometimes the best part of the year. More information is available at 49writers.blogspot.com.