University of Dayton students from any major with a passion for writing are encouraged to apply for the "You Can Write!" Creative Writing Retreat.
Supported by a generous gift from Liz (Mund) Ryan '81 and Jamie Ryan '82, the three-day, two-night writing retreat takes place at the Bergamo Center in Beavercreek.
All retreat expenses — lodging, meals and snacks — will be covered for a limited number of students. The retreat will be led by faculty from the English department.
The weekend includes craft of fiction instruction, writing sessions, prompts, one-on-one guidance and the opportunity to share work for those comfortable doing so.
The retreat takes its name from the words legendary columnist and author Erma Bombeck '49 first heard from her UD English Professor Brother Tom Price, S.M.
Seeing Bombeck's potential, Price encouraged her to write a humorous piece for UD's literary magazine. She timidly slipped the piece under his office door. "He saw me one day outside the cafeteria, and he said three words to me, that's all, just three words that were to sustain me for the rest of my life. He looked at me and said, 'You can write,'" recalled Bombeck, whose columns later graced the pages of 900 newspapers and books topped the bestseller list.
The Ryans, an alumni couple in Columbus, started the retreat to offer other students that same sort of inspiration and encouragement. It's intentionally designed for students of any major or experience level.
