Thank you to everyone who joined us on our first Fallbrook Farm Writing Retreat!

See below for info about the June 2019 retreat and stay tuned for the next Fallbrook retreat coming June 2020.

with Lauren K. Alleyne, Nicelle Davis & Arminé Iknadossian

ABOUT THE RETREAT

Join us on a writing retreat with poets Lauren K. Alleyne (Difficult Fruit, Honeyfish) Nicelle Davis (The Walled Wife, In the Circus of You) and Arminé Iknadossian (All That Wasted Fruit).

Nestled in an enchanting rural area surrounded by mountainous views with sights of the Pacific Ocean on clear days, our retreat space is only 35 min from Oceanside Beach, 30 min from the wineries and casinos of Temecula, and 1 hr from San Diego.

The property consists of a main house with two adjacent cottages with all the amenities for modern living. Sitting on a 20-acre avocado & citrus farm about 5 miles north of the center of Fallbrook (often referred to as the avocado capital of the world), the hills face the Pacific Ocean 10 miles away to the South-West, and 8 miles away from the Temecula Valley to the North-East.

The farm occupies three hilltops with amazing views all around. You can stroll through the groves of avocados, sweet lemons (really sweet!), oranges, guavas, and persimmons. Or hike up and down steep slopes and admire the native Californian geography.

Behind the house, perched on a huge boulder, on the highest point of the farm, is the view deck from where you can have a 360 panoramic view of the area.

TICKET OPTIONS

ALL TICKETS INCLUDE MEALS (vegetarian friendly)

Still available: Option 1: Regular Ticket, Writing Retreat, No Lodging | $350

You may bring a tent and camp on the property or make accommodations nearby in the town of Fallbrook. All tickets includes meals, and if you camp or stay nearby, it’s easy to join us for our retreat schedule. (QTY AVAIL: 8-11)

Still available: Option 2: Writing Retreat + Lodging, Common Area | $400

Up to two people may share the common area for sleeping. You will need to bring a sleeping bag or bedding. Includes access to shared bathroom. (QTY AVAIL: 1)

SOLD OUT Option 3: Writing Retreat + Lodging, Private Den | $450

Up to two people may share the private den for sleeping. This option includes one single bed. If sharing, one person will need to bring their own sleeping bag or bedding. Includes access to shared bathroom. (QTY AVAIL: 1)

SOLD OUT Option 4: Writing Retreat + Lodging, Private Queen Room = $500

Up to two people may share a private room with a queen bed. Includes access to shared bathroom. (QTY AVAIL: 1)

SOLD OUT Option 5: Writing Retreat + Lodging, Private Master Bedroom = $550

Up to two people may share the master bedroom with a queen bed and private bathroom. (QTY AVAIL: 1)

NOTE: Each of these rooms may be booked for one or two people. If sharing a space, only one person needs to purchase the ticket option with lodging. The other person can buy a regular ticket. Simply indicate the name of the person you are bunking with at checkout.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Pre-payment ahead of time is required to reserve your spot.

We accept payment via:

Free, secure online payment via Venmo (preferred). If you have a Venmo account, you can transfer money directly to: https://venmo.com/armineiknadossian
Mail or hand-deliver a check. If you’d like to pay by check, please e-mail armiknado@gmail.com to receive a mailing address.
Paypal. Send money via Paypal to the email: armiknado@gmail.com. Please indicate which type of ticket you are reserving.

Please keep in mind: On-site lodging is only available in limited quantities, so if you’d like to take advantage of that option, you may want to secure your ticket early. Once those rooms are booked, your options for lodging include nearby hotels or on-site camping.

For questions about tickets or reservations, please email Arminé Iknadossian at: armiknado@gmail.com

RETREAT SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JUNE 27 AGENDA

4-6pm Arrivals and Happy Hour
6-8pm All That Wasted Fruit Workshop: Arminé

FRIDAY JUNE 28 AGENDA

9-10am Breakfast
10-1pm Walled Wife Workshop: Nicelle
1-3pm Lunch and Write!
3-6pm Difficult Fruit Workshop: Lauren
6-8pm Sunset Dinner and Write!
8-9pm First Draft share outs and shout outs

SATURDAY JUNE 29 AGENDA

9-10am Breakfast
10-1pm In the Circus of You Workshop: Nicelle
1-3pm Lunch and Write!
3-6pm Honeyfish Workshop: Lauren
6-8pm Sunset Dinner and Write!
8-9pm First Draft share outs and shout outs

SUNDAY JUNE 30 AGENDA

8-10am Breakfast: So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye: Arminé
10-11am Pack and depart

MEALS SERVED

Happy Hour Menu (Thursday June 27):
Beer and Sparkling Wine
Cheese and crackers
Dips and Chips
Breads and spreads
Chocolate covered strawberries

Continental Breakfast (Friday, Saturday and Sunday):

Eggs
Yogurt
Fresh fruit
Cereal/Milks
Croissants/Muffins
Bagels/Toast
Nut butters/ Cream cheese/Butter/Jams

Lunch (Friday and Saturday):

Assorted pinwheel and croissant sandwiches
Veggie Salad/Pasta salad/ Potato salad
Potato Chips/Dips
Fruit and cookies

Dinner Menu (Thursday June 27):

Veggie Lasagna and Meat Lasagna
Garlic Bread
Caesar Salad
Dessert: Tiramisu and Fruit

Dinner Menu (Friday June 28):

Veggie & bean chilli
Meat & bean chilli
Condiments: grated cheese, diced onion, sour cream
Cornbread
Southwest salad
Dessert: Fresh fruit and brownies

Dinner Menu (Saturday, June 29)

Special Dinner TBD

Snacks:

There will also be snacks available throughout the day like trail mix, fruit, etc.

Beverages:

Coffee, tea, water available throughout stay.

Workshop Description:

Note: A more detailed curriculum will be emailed to participants prior to arrival.

Thursday, June 27
All That Wasted Fruit with Arminé Iknadossian

Friday, June 28
The Walled Wife with Nicelle Davis
Difficult Fruit with Lauren K. Alleyne

Saturday, June 29
In the Circus of You with Nicelle Davis
Honeyfish with Lauren K. Alleyne

Sunday, June 30
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye with Arminé Iknadossian

FACILITATOR BIOS

Lauren K. Alleyne is the author of Difficult Fruit (Peepal Tree Press, 2014). She holds an MFA in Poetry and a graduate certificate in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University, and an MA in English and Creative Writing from Iowa State University. Her work appears in Women’s Studies Quarterly, Guernica, The Caribbean Writer, Black Arts Quarterly, The Cimarron Review and Crab Orchard Review. Alleyne has earned the Picador Guest Professorship in Literature at the University of Leipzig, Germany, a 2014 Iowa Arts Council Fellowship, and first place in the 2016 Split This Rock Poetry Contest. She is a Cave Canem graduate, and is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. She currently works at James Madison University as Assistant Director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center and an Associate Professor of English. https://laurenkalleyne.com/

Nicelle Davis is a California poet, collaborator, and performance artist who walks the desert with her son J.J. in search of owl pellets and rattlesnake skins. Her most recent collection, The Walled Wife, is available from Red Hen Press. She is the author of three previous collections including In the Circus of You (Rose Metal Press, 2015), Becoming Judas (Red Hen Press, 2013) and Circe (Lowbrow Press, 2011). Nicelle is also the director of The Living Poetry Project. In attempts to have poetry everywhere and anywhere, The Living Poetry Project endeavors to build community by collaborating with students and artists with the hope of introducing people to art. http://www.nicelledavis.net/

Arminé Iknadossian fled Beirut, Lebanon for Pasadena, California with her family in 1978 to escape the civil war. She spent her childhood avoiding indoctrination from evangelical Christians and watching after her twin sisters, which is also the primary reason she has chosen to remain childless. After earning her BA from UCLA, she worked as assistant editor to Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Arminé Iknadossian immigrated to the United States in 1978 to escape the civil war. She is the author of All That Wasted Fruit (Main Street Rag Press). She earned an MFA from Antioch University where she was awarded a fellowship from Summer Poetry in Idyllwild. After teaching English for 20 years, Iknadossian wrote United States of Love & Other Poems (2015). During her tenure as a teacher, The Los Angeles Writing Project awarded Iknadossian a fellowship for their summer residency. Iknadossian currently lives close to the sea with Henry the Cat.