Before there was a written language, oral societies used storytelling to explain and preserve their cultural history. Songs, chants and fables used rhyme and movement to act out and preserve the memories of ancestors as they explained the world that was both seen and unseen. The repetition of these stories created an affirming affect on individuals and helped to establish their value system.

Robin  Edgar teaches an annual life writing retreat, affiliated with the Story Circle Network, at Wildacres atop a Pompey's Knob mountain in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. Undisturbed by through traffic or noises of the city, the 1,600 acres are adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway and thousands of acres of the Pisgah National Forest. An intimate retreat where you can really talk & listen to each other's stories, the registration is limited to 12 participants. These spaces fill very quickly, so please register as soon as you can! The deadline is September 25, 2011.

The Candy Fund (TCF) offers scholarships of up to 50% off for the Life Writing Retreat to women, 21 years of age or older, who reside in Western North Carolina. Contact Robin Edgar for more information at 2robinedgar@gmail.com.

For information about this annual weekend Life Writing Retreat, go to www.wildacres.org or Contact Robin Edgar.