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Santa Fe Science-Writing Workshop

June 15 to 20, 2002

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Next year's workshop will be June 14 to 19. Watch this space for developments.

Pictures from 2002 by Robert Burns.



We are now taking applications for the seventh annual Santa Fe Science-Writing Workshop, which will begin Saturday evening, June 15, 2002, and run through Thursday morning, June 20, at Plaza Resolana in downtown Santa Fe. This year's instructors will be:

Sandra Blakeslee, a New York Times science writer specializing in neuroscience and the author, with V. S. Ramachandran, of Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind.

Robin Marantz Henig, a free-lance magazine writer specializing in the life sciences and the author of The Monk in the Garden, a biography of Gregor Mendel.

George Johnson, a New York Times science writer specializing in physics and computer science and the author of Strange Beauty: Murray Gell-Mann and the Revolution in 20th-Century Physics.

Rosie Mestel, a medical writer and columnist for The Los Angeles Times.

Andrew Revkin, environmental writer for The New York Times and author of The Burning Season.


Please bookmark this page and check back regularly for updates.

The daily schedule.

The latest updates.

This year's class list.

How to apply.

FAQ.

View from the Plaza web cam.


The previous six workshops each attracted about 40 students from all over the country (and a few from Europe). Some were working science writers who wanted to hone their skills and meet more of their colleagues. Some were writers from other fields hoping to make the switch to science writing. Some were public information specialists from universities and government laboratories. And some were scientists who wondered if they might like writing more than research.

Past instructors have included Deborah Blum, a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer and University of Wisconsin journalism professor, Shannon Brownlee, a former senior writer at U.S. News & World Report, Philip Elmer-DeWitt, assistant managing editor in charge of science, medicine, and technology coverage for Time magazine, Dr. Lawrence K. Altman, chief medical correspondent for The New York Times, K.C. Cole of The Los Angeles Times, Joe Palca of National Public Radio, Pulitzer-prize-winner John Noble Wilford of the The New York Times, Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer-prize-winning reporter for Newsday, Richard Harris, Peabody-Award-winning science reporter for National Public Radio, Dennis Overbye, deputy science editor for The New York Times and author of Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, Rick Weiss, science writer for The Washington Post, Natalie Angier, science correspondent for The New York Times and winner of the Pulitzer prize, Jon Franklin, two-time Pulitzer prize winner and professor of creative writing at the University of Oregon, Michael Lemonick, science writer for Time magazine, Paul Hoffman, former editor-in-chief of Discover magazine, Cornelia Dean, science editor of The New York Times, and Timothy Ferris, author of The Whole Shebang: A State of the Universe(s) Report and Coming of Age in the Milky Way.

The cost will be the same as last year. Tuition is $525. Five nights at Plaza Resolana (double occupancy with breakfasts and lunches included) is $325. For a private room (a very limited number are available) the cost is $475. Those who do not stay at Plaza Resolana are charged a $100 commuter fee, which covers lunches, coffee, course materials, and other incidentals. In addition there will be a $25 per person activities fee to pay for a hike at Bandelier National Monument, a group dinner at Rancho de Chimayo and a barbecue on the final evening of the conference. (On the other nights, we'll all hit the restaurants and bars around the downtown Plaza and fend for ourselves.)

You are welcome to bring a spouse or friend, in which case you will pay the double-occupancy rate plus $50 a night for the extra person (breakfasts and lunches included).

In the past, some people have chosen to stay instead at local bed and breakfasts. Many are within a few minutes' walk of Plaza Resolana and the Plaza.

Please burrow into our Web site and see what we did in 2001, in 2000, in 1999, in 1998, in 1997, and in 1996. You can also read comments from people who attended previous workshops. The event is being held under the auspices of Plaza Resolana, a nonprofit organization.

photos by Bill Wilburn


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