28 Jun Writing as a Physical Experience: “The Body Keeps the Story” with Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle’s debut, Even As We Breathe–the first novel published by an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians–was named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020 and received the 2021 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Charles Frazier, the author of Cold Mountain, said she is “a writer well worth following,” and Ron Rash called her “an important voice in Appalachia’s literature.” With all this acclaim, you can see why we are so happy to have Annette back this summer to lead her popular weeklong writing workshop at the Folk School!
From August 13-18, join Annette on our sprawling, 270-acre campus for “The Body Keeps the Story,” a writing class that helps students infuse their fiction with sensory memory. “We may not remember a conversation with a loved one,” she writes, “but we remember the coldness of their touch, how heavy the words felt in our ears, or the smell of their skin.” These details create rich and vivid writing that resonates deeply–making her class essential for writers of any age or skill level.
Learn more about Annette and her upcoming class in our interview below. If you’re interested in taking “The Body Keeps the Story,” register today to secure your spot!
JCCFS: Tell us more about your upcoming Writing class, “The Body Keeps the Story” happening August 13-18.
ASC: Reading is an intellectual and emotional activity, one that necessitates a physical experience. Our bodies both trigger and are triggered by sensory memory. We may not remember a conversation with a loved one, but we remember the coldness of their touch, how heavy the words felt in our ears, or the smell of their skin. Join us as we empower our stories to invoke a corporeal experience by employing our own bodies in the craft of writing to create new worlds, new experiences, and new energy.
JCCFS: What can folks expect to leave this class with?
ASC: Students will leave with new craft tools and processes to generate increased energy in their writing. They likely will leave with the start of their next project and initial feedback on their generative work.
Paperback and hardcover editions of Annette’s prize-winning novel, Even As We Breathe.
Annette’s last class at the Folk School
Some photos from Annette’s previous time teaching at the Folk School
JCCFS: What is your favorite aspect or part of the Folk School? What do you most look forward to when coming back to teach on our campus?
ASC: I love coming to the Folk School and immersing myself in the creative energy of the space. It is an environment wholly dedicated to experimentation, learning, and growth. It is such a treat to be tucked into the beautiful natural landscape and have all one’s needs cared for so that you are free to focus on your own artistic journey.
JCCFS: Tell us a little more about yourself for those who are unfamiliar. How did you get started?
ASC: I’m an enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and reside in Qualla, NC with my husband, Evan, and sons Ross and Charlie. I hold degrees from Yale University and the College of William and Mary. My debut novel, Even As We Breathe, was released by the University Press of Kentucky in 2020. It was a finalist for the Weatherford Award and named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020. In 2021, my book received the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. I’ve also written for Yes! Magazine, Lit Hub, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, South Writ Large, Our State Magazine, and The Atlantic.
After serving as executive director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, I returned to teaching at Swain County High School for over a dozen years. I’m the former co-editor of the Journal of Cherokee Studies, serve on the Board of Directors for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, and am the President of the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network. I also established Bird Words, LLC in 2022 and work as an independent contractor and consultant.
JCCFS: Where do you draw inspiration from in your work?
ASC: I draw inspiration from this place, Appalachia, and the rich history of my Cherokee culture.
JCCFS: What’s something you’ve done recently that you are proud of and why?
ASC: I am thrilled to have created an Indigenous Writers’ workshop series called CONFLUENCE for my home community of Cherokee, NC. We bring in Indigenous writers from all over the country to provide instruction and share their knowledge.
JCCFS: Where can folks find you if they want to stay up to date on your work?
OR: My website is asaunookeclapsaddle.com. You can follow me on Instagram at @annette_saunooke_clapsaddle and Facebook at Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle – Author.
Photo from one of the Confluence workshops hosted at The Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
Upcoming Class with Annette
The Body Keeps the Story
August 13-18, 2023
Reading is an intellectual and emotional activity, one that necessitates a physical experience. Our bodies both trigger and are triggered by sensory memory. We may not remember a conversation with a loved one, but we remember the coldness of their touch, how heavy the words felt in our ears, or the smell of their skin. Join us as we empower our stories to invoke a corporeal experience by employing our own bodies in the craft of writing to create new worlds, new experiences, and new energy.
About Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and resides in Qualla, NC with her husband and two sons. She holds degrees from Yale University and the College of William and Mary. Her debut novel, Even As We Breathe, was a finalist for the Weatherford Award and named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2020. Her first novel manuscript, Going to Water, is winner of the Morning Star Award for Creative Writing from the Native American Literature Symposium (2012) and a finalist for the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction (2014). Clapsaddle’s work has appeared in Yes! Magazine, Lit Hub, Smoky Mountain Living Magazine, South Writ Large, and The Atlantic. She previously served as executive director of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation, a teacher, and co-editor of the Journal of Cherokee Studies. She serves on the board of trustees for the North Carolina Writers Network.
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