Writer's Workshop at The Abbey

Dates
15 May - 31 May 2010


The Program
Led by Center for Writers Professor Julia Johnson, you land first in Paris for a week to wander magnificent museums, see works of art that inspired so many French writers. Discover firsthand the places where the great 19th Century French poets Charles Baudelaire, Arthur Rimbaud, Stephane Mallarme and others revolted and altered poetic form! Then, travel by train to the historic center of the French Loire Valley to spend a few weeks at the Abbey in Pontlevoy. Once there, you experience living in an idyllic town, meet daily for an intense small group workshop dedicated to your work in your genre of choice, poetry or fiction or both—or, in the tradition of many French poets, you try your hand at the prose poem form. Whether sitting on a garden bench under a linden tree reading the poems of Appolonaire or writing your own, or walking the enormous halls of a Chateau or the dark caverns of a mushroom cave, you are in place of remarkable history and stunning beauty. You might even ask yourself, as Baudelaire did, “What? You here, my dear fellow? You here, in a place like this? You, the connoisseur of quintessences, the eater of pure ambrosia? This really is a surprise.” 

Academic Credit
Undergradutes may receive credit in one of two classes, Fiction Writing ENG 421 (3 HRS)/ENG 492 (1 HR) or Poetry Writing ENG 422 (3 HRS)/ENG 492 (1 HR). Graduates may receive credit in one of two classes, Fiction Writing ENG 721 (3 HRS)/ENG 792 (1 HR) or Poetry Writing ENG 722 (3 HRS)/ENG 792 (1 HR).

Program Cost
$2,599 undergraduate/$2,799 graduate

The cost includes tuition, fees, international student identity card, housing in Paris and Pontlevoy, 4 Abbey lunches, and in-country ground transportation.  This does not include flight, meals or spending money.

Eligibility 
To qualify, undergraduate students must be in clear academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on at least 28 semester hours of college/university course work.  Graduate students must be in graduate standing. 

Proof of Citizenship
In order to board the aircraft, you will be required to present proof of citizenship in the form of a valid passport.  If you do no have a current passport, you will need to allow 10 weeks for processing.

Financial Aid
The Writer's Workshop at The Abbey qualifies for financial aid in the form of guaranteed student loans, Pell Grants, or applicable graduate assistantships.  Southern Miss students requiring financial aid should contact Frances Sudduth at the International Programs Office before requesting a 2009 - 2010 Study Abroad Financial Aid Application from the university’s Financial Aid Office.

Application Deadline
Completed applications with $250 deposit are due by 22 March 2010.  Balance of fees, less deposit, is due no later than 29 March 2010.  Acceptance for qualified participants is made on a first come, first serve basis, so students are encouraged to apply early.

For more information contact
The University of Southern Mississippi
International Programs
118 College Drive #10047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: 601.266.4344
E-mail: studyabroad@usm.edu

Dr. Julia Johnson, Director
The University of Southern Mississippi
Department of English
118 College Drive #5037
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: 601.266.5037
E-mail: julia.johnson@usm.edu

click here for Writer's Workshop at The Abbey application