Donna Trussell, former Sewanee Writers’ Conference attendee, wrote a list called “The Things They Didn’t Carry” — the title being inspired by Tim O’Brien’s short story called “The Things They Carried” — to help those heading to conferences to pack the right items.
Her list is below — click on it for the whole list — and I’m going to add some of my own items:
- Luna Bars — preferably Peppermint
- Running shoes
- Noise machine to block out people who party later than you do
- Deck of cards for poker
- Change for poker
- Your laptop
- Hiking shoes and good socks
- Extra paper and pens
- Actual real money — just in case
- Bourbon
- Books — I know, I know. What writer doesn’t pack books?
- Stamps
- Envelopes
1) Small bedside reading lamp. Not only does it make for a more pleasant atmosphere than an overhead light, it will also allow you to read yourself to sleep.
2) Outside by CB I Hate Perfume, tested against Sewanee mosquitos by fiction writer Sharon Mauldin Reynolds. No one wants to smell like DEET at a writers conference.
3) Wristwatch. Cell phones can be out of range, out of charge, turned off or left back in your room.
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Perfect, this is exactly what I was looking for. Now where did I put my noise machine…
Splenda
A coffee tumbler (the cups at the Inn are too small)
Rolaids
great list…I would only add to that an ipod, but that’s because I love noise when I read…and write.
The running shoes would be useful to hurl at bad speakers. All of us still have much to assimilate in terms of lessons learned from the Bush administration.
I can’t find a page with your contact details so I hope this is okay. Can I have a residency added to your Writing Residency page? The 2010 Emerging Writers-in-Residence application deadline is coming up and we’d love for it to be listed on your site. http://kspf.iinet.net.au/residency_program.html
This is off topic but can we suggest or submit writing residencies and writer’s retreats for your website?
http://www.kspf.iinet.net.au/residency_program.html
You sure can! Please leave them in the comments for all to see.