Why the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat is special

Iowa’s annual ‘summer camp for word nerds’ is back for year four.

For the first time in its existence, I will be missing the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat when it begins on Sept. 22.

The event I affectionately dubbed  “Summer camp for word nerds” is the brainchild of the ever-busy Julie Gammack, and I’ve been part of it since day one. 

Julie Gammack and Ty Rushing. Photo by Ty Rushing

If you have never been or heard of it, the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat is exactly what it sounds like. Julie, a former Des Moines Register reporter and radio personality, taps into her stacked Rolodex to bring in some of the most talented journalists, authors, poets, screenwriters and other wordsmiths to teach classes related to their expertise all while surrounded by the natural beauty of the Iowa Great Lakes region.

The experts provide instruction and direct feedback to budding writers from all over the country who attend the event. There are also campfires, sunset boat rides, film screenings, late-night taco runs and a whole lot more.

I don’t exaggerate when I say people from all over the country attend.

During the first retreat, Jennifer Ashburn infamously came from Sandusky, Ohio. I said “infamously” because, due to a booking mishap on her end, Jennifer came a day late after traveling all over the Midwest using multiple modes of transportation, including a train. Still, Jennifer made it, and she was an absolute delight.

Jennifer Ashburn and Ty Rushing. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Ashburn

The star of last year’s retreat was Allegra Blackwood, a 15-year-old teenage journalist from Michigan, who was a guest of Phoebe Wall Howard. The two became acquainted when Phoebe was still at the Detroit Free-Press and served as Allegra’s professional mentor.

With her braces, small demeanor and youthful energy, Allegra came across even younger than her 15 years until she spoke. Allegra asked pointed questions of speakers, was not afraid to network with people three to four times her age, and was also not shy about asking for and securing college recommendation letters from some of the heavy hitters in attendance.

Allegra also was part of a moment that remains burned into my memory. While I can’t remember the words that were spoken, the visual was powerful enough to earn that permanent space in my mind.

Rachel Jones of the National Press Foundation led a session on how to honor your voice with your writing. She drew upon her experiences as a Black woman in an industry where not a lot of people looked like her and how she had to deal with the double-edged sword of racism and misogyny just to be able to do her job.  

Allegra, who is also Black, said something to Rachel that led to both of them hugging in the middle of the session as everyone else in the room either fought back tears or let them flow freely, which included me. None of us were aware that Julie had snuck into the room and managed to capture the hug.

Allegra Blackwood and Rachel Jones. Photos by Julie Gammack

Moments like that are what make the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat remarkable. 

Since then, Allegra has shared her work with me, and Rachel brought me in as a speaker for a National Press Foundation event. Oh, did I mention that we also network at this event because we do!

Another aspect that makes us return year after year is the personal connections we make. During the first year, I met a woman named Michelle Cowan, who I now consider a friend.

Michelle Cowan and Ty Rushing. Photo by Ty Rushing

Michelle had an idea for a book but didn’t know the first step to getting started. Her first husband, Joe, was killed in a car accident by a drunken driver. Michelle wanted to write a book about that tragic loss, grief, and ways she tried to cope with Joe’s untimely death, which included everything from visiting a psychic to trying to get legislation passed in Nebraska.

All the writers in attendance encouraged Michelle to pursue this idea and advised her on how to take what was in her head and put it on paper. By year two, Michelle had a draft of her book. 

In year three, she handed me an autographed copy of “Better Not Bitter.” It now sits on my office bookshelf between the works of two other Iowa writers I greatly admire.

As year four of the writers’ Retreat gets ready to kick off, Michelle will tell the rest of the group about her opportunity to turn her book into a film. She was selected to participate in a Hollywood Field Trip next year to pitch her screenplay. 

Nuts, right?

While Michelle may be an extraordinary overachiever, she is not the only success story from the retreat. My home bookcase is filled with books given to me by other attendees who felt inspired by the retreat and wanted to share their achievements with “the faculty.”

I would not miss the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat if it weren’t for a significant life event. Two people who are special to me are declaring their everlasting love to one another, and my special person is conducting the ceremony.  

So while “Professor Rushing” won’t physically be there this year — coincidentally, this was the first place I was called Professor Rushing, which is now my actual job title — I will be there in spirit and living vicariously through every social media post.

If you, like me, have to miss this year’s retreat, it’s never too early to hit up Julie Gammack to let her know you are interested in going next year. I know I am. Hope to see you there!