​The SWC 1990 to the Present: Survivors’ Reminiscence

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

Among many other notable presences, the 28th Sewanee Writers’ Conference (SWC) welcomed poet Charles Martin and fiction writer Tim O’Brien, both who served on the faculty at the first SWC in 1990.
“Aside from Wyatt [founding director Wyatt Prunty], Charles and I are the only survivors of that first conference,” O’Brien said. Since then, O’Brien’s served on the faculty every other year, and similarly, Martin counted this year’s event as his 14th SWC. Martin has also served frequently on the faculty at the School of Letters.
“Since 2008, Sewanee has become a steady summer thing for me. I’ve had a presence at the conference or the School of Letters or both,” Martin said.
“Dry boxes of cereal were the only food late at night,” Martin laughed, recalling the first SWC when he stayed at Rebel’s Rest, a Sewanee landmark that burned in 2014. But all joking aside, Martin’s humor quickly takes a backseat to his awestruck admiration of Sewanee.
Martin knew SWC founding director Prunty from John Hopkins University where they both served on the writing seminars faculty. Martin had never visited the South before coming to the 1990 conference, and he spent a day in Nashville before travelling on to Sewanee.
“Driving up to the plateau was like going into another kingdom. Sewanee is unlike any other place in the world. It’s the kind of University the hobbits would have built, twinkling cabins in the woods, the deafening chorus of cicadas,” said Martin.
O’Brien agrees. He and his family live in Austin, Texas, a hubbub of freeways, congestion and crowds. “Sewanee was love at first sight, the air, the University, the mountain top feel—it’s a perfect setting for conversation. Sewanee is probably my favorite place on earth.”
O’Brien knew Prunty from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. When Prunty asked him to serve on the faculty at the first SWC, O’Brien said, “Yeah, sure. Wyatt’s my friend, a generous kind person who loves people. I didn’t even ask how much I was going to get paid.” The wage turned out to be far more than O’Brien expected thanks to the generosity of the Walter E. Dakin Memorial Fund, a bequest from the estate of the late Tennessee Williams that has made the SWC one of the top ranking writers’ meccas in the nation.
O’Brien recalls Prunty giving a reading at an early conference when the mischievous staff filled his water glass at the podium with vodka. “Wyatt took a huge slug. He couldn’t spit it out and swallowed, scanning the room for the culprit.” Others might have gotten angry, O’Brien said, praising Prunty for his generosity of spirit in all things.
For the faculty, the conference schedule is demanding. “The conference is a very intense experience, and I never left campus much until I began teaching at the School of Letters when my wife and I had time to drive around the area,” Martin said.
O’Brien concurs. “You have nine student manuscripts to evaluate. That’s a lot of pages, and you need to read them attentively like an editor and pay attention to every line—I’m anal that way.”
Five years ago, Martin who has taught since his graduate school days in the 60s, decided to retire from teaching to devote himself to writing full time. He turned in the manuscript for his sixth poetry collection, “Future Perfect,” Scheduled for release in 2018, two weeks before this conference. Also the author of three translations, fine arts books, and a historical perspective on the work of the Roman poet Catullus, Martin plans to turn his attention next to craft lecture essays.
“I like to switch it up,” Martin said. “I’m really happy with the decision to write full time.”
For O’Brien, as well, writing is his full time profession. “I live in my office in my underwear, and I write. At Sewanee, I’m around people, and I enjoy it.”
O’Brien, who has published nine book-length works of fiction is also working on a series of craft essays. Of the things he’s written, his favorite is a new piece on the experience of fatherhood, “Papa” Ernest Hemingway, and his two young sons. “My favorite is always what I’m working on now. You love the new infant, feel protective.”
Both men have kept in touch with some of their students. “This year, a student I had eight years ago returned, and she’s just published a novel,” O’Brien said.
“There are more activities than there were in 1990,” Martin noted. “I’m teaching a translation workshop, for example. But most of the changes are external like the new Sewanee Inn.”
O’Brien confessed, “I was afraid of Charles for the first 10 years. Charles is so quiet and a poet. I didn’t want to interrupt his reverie. Then one evening, we ended up in side by side rocking chairs at the French House.” Martin gave him a copy of a manuscript he was working on, a reminiscence on Nabokov. “It was incredibly moving and well written,” O’Brien said. “We talked about Nabokov for hours and became fast friends.”
O’Brien, too, sees little change since 1990, remarking instead on the “abiding feeling of decency, civility and kindness.” Asked to sum up the SWC experience in five words, O’Brien said, “The world should be Sewanee.”
2024 March
2024 February
2024 January
2023 December
2023 November
2023 October
2023 September
2023 August
2023 July
2023 June
2023 May
2023 April
2023 March
2023 February
2023 January
2022 December
2022 November
2022 October
2022 September
2022 August
2022 July
2022 June
2022 May
2022 April
2022 March
2022 February
2022 January
2021 December
2021 November
2021 October
2021 September
2021 August
2021 July
2021 June
2021 May
2021 April
2021 March
2021 February
2021 January
2020 December
2020 November
2020 October
2020 September
2020 August
2020 July
2020 June
2020 May
2020 April
2020 March
2020 February
2020 January
2019 December
2019 November
2019 October
2019 September
2019 August
2019 July
2019 June
2019 May
2019 April
2019 March
2019 February
2019 January
2018 December
2018 November
2018 October
2018 September
2018 August
2018 July
2018 June
2018 May
2018 April
2018 March
2018 February
2018 January
2017 December
2017 November
2017 October
2017 September
2017 August
2017 July
2017 June
2017 May
2017 April
2017 March
2017 February
2017 January
2016 December
2016 November
2016 October
2016 September
2016 August
2016 July
2016 June
2016 May
2016 April
2016 March
2016 February
2016 January
2015 December
2015 November
2015 October
2015 September
2015 August
2015 July
2015 June
2015 May
2015 April
2015 March
2015 February
2015 January
2014 December
2014 November
2014 October
2014 September
2014 August
2014 July
2014 June
2014 May
2014 April
2014 March
2014 February
2014 January
2013 December
2013 November
2013 October
2013 September
2013 August
2013 July
2013 June
2013 May
2013 April
2013 March
2013 February
2013 January
2012 December
2012 November
2012 October
2012 September
2012 August
2012 July
2012 June
2012 May
2012 April
2012 March
2012 February
2012 January
2011 December
2011 November
2011 October
2011 September
2011 August
2011 July
2011 June
2011 May
2011 April
2011 March
2011 February
2011 January
2010 December
2010 November
2010 October
2010 September
2010 August
2010 July
2010 June
2010 May