Monday, May 18
3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Registration at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe. Pick up your room key and registration packet at the front desk.
5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reception followed by buffet supper in the courtyard (if the weather is good) or dining room. Meet the students and instructors.
Tuesday, May 19
7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
8:30 a.m. Meet in front of the building for a ride to the Santa Fe Institute.
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. "The Nuts and Bolts of Science Writing." By dissecting the current week's issue of Science Times, the instructors, joined by David Corcoran, the section's deputy editor, show how some of the pros turn science's discoveries and abstractions into compelling, accurate writing.
10:45 a.m. to 12 noon. Caroline Buckee. Postdoctoral Fellow, Santa Fe Institute and Sir Henry Wellcome Research Fellow, University of Oxford, Zoology.
12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Box lunch on the portal. Meet with your group for the first time and discuss the morning's presentation.
1:45 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nathan Eagle, Research Scientist at MIT and a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute. (Students may use these talks as the basis for a writing assignment, which will be critiqued during the workshop sessions. See the FAQ for details.)
3:45 p.m. Return to Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Meet in the Atencio Room (to the right as you pass through the lobby) for more discussion on the SFI talks.
6 p.m. Explore the Plaza; forage for dinner.
Wednesday, May 20
7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. "Behind the Scenes at the New New York Times." David Corcoran describes how he and the staff go about finding, reporting, and presenting the week's science news, both on paper and online.
10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Benedict Carey. "Outwitting Common Sense: Writing about Everyday Behavior." By deconstructing some of his own stories, the Times behavioral science reporter discusses the difficulties of writing about subjects, like denial and fairness, that everyone thinks they already understand.
12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Lunch at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. George Johnson. "Science and the Narrative Form." In a magazine article, you might have the luxury of 4,000 to 5,000 words to play with, a perfect size for narrative journalism. But with some artful compression you can set scenes and tell stories that are newspaper-sized: 2,000 words or less.
3 to 4:45 p.m. Workshop session. Students will break into groups and meet with their assigned instructor.
5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Public reading of works in progress by the instructors.
7:45 p.m. Explore the Plaza; forage for dinner.
Thursday, May 21
7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Erika Check. "Covering the Human Side of Science." Using examples from her print and video work, Erika will discuss the challenge of extracting the personal stories that illuminate why and how scientists do what they do.
10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Jennifer Ouellette. "Inventing a New Future: Why Science Writing Won't Die." As more and more newspapers shutter their science sections, and publications of all kinds move online, how is a science writer to adapt and survive? A pioneer of Web-based science journalism talks about the trend towards multimedia and integration, and the interface between science and Hollywood.
12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Lunch at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Workshop session. Meet with your instructor.
3 p.m. Meet in front of Ghost Ranch Santa Fe for an optional field trip to Bandelier National Monument. Bring sunscreen, hat, water, and (depending on the forecast) rain gear. (If you prefer to stay in town, you can walk to the Plaza and some good museums or explore Santa Fe's historic Eastside.)
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Explore the ruins at Bandelier.
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dinner at Cowgirl Hall of Fame. (Cash bar -- drinks not included.)
9:15 p.m. Return to Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
Friday May 22
7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at
Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Meet for the final time with your group.
12 noon to 1:15 p.m. Lunch at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe.
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Freelancing workshop. Michelle Nijhuis and Christie Aschwanden lead a discussion on how to survive as a self-employed science writer.
3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Instructors will be available to meet informally with students. Meanwhile relax and prepare for the week's big event.
5:30 p.m. Meet in front of Ghost Ranch Santa Fe for a ride to the barbecue.
6 p.m. to whenever. Barbecue at Sandra Blakeslee's house. (The drinks are on us.)
Saturday, May 23
7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Breakfast at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe. Please check out before attending the final session. Luggage can be left at the front desk.
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Sandy Blakeslee describes the benefits and pitfalls of collaborating with a scientist on a popular book.
11 a.m. to noon. Closing discussion and farewell.