Writers’ Conference Participant Handbook

Dear Bread Loafer,

We’re so happy you’re coming and are looking forward to seeing you very soon! Below you’ll see information that we hope will be helpful as you prepare for your visit.

Arrival and Departure

Please plan to arrive on Wednesday, August 14, by 5:00 p.m. Registration is available from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. A lunch will be available that day between 11:30 and 1:00 p.m. There will be a Cocktail Reception on the West Lawn at 5:15 p.m. and a buffet dinner will be available at 6:15 p.m. The first event of the conference, the welcome and reading, will take place at 8:15 p.m.

Upon arrival, please go to the Front Porch of the Bread Loaf Inn to meet with the Front Desk Staff who will have your housing information. From there continue to the side Porch to pick up your registration materials.

The last day of the conference, Saturday, August 24, is a travel day. Breakfast is served that morning, and participants leave campus by noon.

To make shared taxi arrangements from the Burlington Vermont Airport, Bread Loafers reserve a ride with Vermont Tour and Charter. Please submit the VTC Bread Loaf form as soon as possible so they can fit you into the schedule of rides. Please note that Vermont Tour and Charter will only give rides to and from from the Burlington,VT airport and Essex, VT train station.  For rides from the Middlebury, VT train station, and for more travel details, see the Travel Information Page.

Those arriving by car may park temporarily along Route 125 near the Bread Loaf Inn while getting their housing information and registration materials.  After that, Bread Loafers with cars park in the big parking lot in front of the Barn on campus. The Front Desk staff will provide more details about parking when they share your housing information with you on arrival day.

We want to highlight here that the Bread Loaf campus is a twenty-minute drive from the Middlebury College campus. The Bread Loaf campus address to use with GPS is 4229 Route 125, Ripton, VT 05766.

Health and Safety on Campus this Summer

Required 2024 COVID-19 Protocols and Pledge Form

The Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences 2024 COVID-19 Protocols and Pledge Form outlines the protocols we’ll have in place this summer. We are asking all Attendees including participants, faculty, summer administrative staff, and guests to read and sign this acknowledgement of the protocols and health pledge. 

Required Measles Proof of Immunity 

The Vermont Department of Health is requiring that all Bread Loafers be able to provide proof of immunization from measles before the start of our summer sessions. In the next two weeks we’ll share a letter from Mark Peluso, Chief Health Officer and College Physician of Middlebury College, and a link for uploading your proof of immunity document. In the meantime, please note that there will be three options for fulfilling this requirement of measles immunization:

  1. obtain proof of immunization from already extant records;
  2. get a blood test that proves immunity from a doctor or clinic;
  3. get an immunization shot for measles (MMR) from a local pharmacy or doctor and providing proof of it.

Note: Individuals born prior to January 1, 1957, are assumed to be immune to measles and do not have to provide proof of immunity. Instead of uploading a proof of immunity document via the forthcoming secure form, these individuals will provide a document showing their date of birth. 

Middlebury College and Bread Loaf Policies

Bread Loaf fosters communities where open-mindedness, respect, and appreciation are truly valued and where each person can thrive and benefit from their time on the mountain. Before your arrival on campus, we ask that you familiarize yourself with the Middlebury College and Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences policies concerning community health, safety, and responsibility. Participants are responsible for knowing and understanding these polices, which are articulated HERE. Should you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to contact one of the following Bread Loaf staff members or one of the Middlebury College contacts noted in the policy information linked to above.

Jennifer Grotz, director, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences (jgrotz@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5286)

Lauren Francis-Sharma, assistant director, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference (lfrancissharma@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5286)

Noreen Cargill, administrative director, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences (ncargill@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5062)

Jason Lamb, coordinator, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conferences (jlamb@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5286)

Community Guidelines

Bread Loaf fosters communities where open-mindedness, respect, and appreciation are truly valued and where each person can thrive and benefit from their time on the mountain. Before your arrival, please take time to read the Bread Loaf Community Guidelines. In order to participate fully during the conference, all are expected to read and be familiar with the information included there.

A Middlebury Email for Participants

Bread Loaf participants are assigned a temporary Middlebury email for use during the conference. Bread Loaf staff will continue to use the personal emails on file for conference communications, but the Middlebury email will be needed to access WiFi on campus and to print in the Apple Cellar computer room.

For Bread Loafers with a balance due to the College, the email will be used to access the College’s Nelnet online payment platform (a Student Financial Services email with a link to Nelnet will go out on July 23 or soon after and payments will be due by August 7).

The ITS “Middlebury Account Activation Instructions” note is scheduled to go out to Bread Loafers’ personal emails on July 17 or soon after. Please activate your temporary Middlebury email right away upon receiving the ITS note.

If you do not receive the ITS activation email by July 24, please contact us at blwc@middlebury.edu to let us know.

Packing

Items you may want to bring

  • We strongly encourage bringing masks with you to campus, if you wish; masks will also be available on the Bread Loaf Campus while supplies last.
  • We strongly encourage attendees to bring antigen test kits with them to campus to have on hand in case they are needed; rapid test kits will be available on campus while supplies last.
  • Water bottle—Conference days are long and it’s important to stay hydrated.  Water fountains are located in the Barn, where most meeting spaces are located.
  • If you’re driving, you may want to bring a fan; there are no air conditioners on campus, and the evenings can be warm.  Evenings can also be quite cold, so an extra blanket may be useful as well.
  • You should plan to bring clothes for both warm and cool weather.  Temperatures during the day and evening could range from the 60s to mid-80s.
  • Raincoat
  • Flashlight or head lamp with batteries
  • Toiletries 
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent
  • Medication such as Benadryl in case of bug bites
  • Your prescription medications and your medical insurance card. We also recommend that you bring a list of your current prescription and non-prescription medications and the phone and fax numbers for your health care provider.
  • Laundry detergent
  • Bathing suit—you can swim in Lake Pleiad (the outing will require use of a car and there is a short hike through the woods to get to the lake)
  • Hiking boots—in case you would like to explore hiking trails in the Green Mountain National Forest.  The Long Trail, stretching from Massachusetts to Canada, is just a few miles away.
  • Ear plugs, just in case
  • Bathrobe and flip flops—there are shared bathrooms in student housing.
  • Running and walking gear—in case you would like to explore the dirt trails near campus.  
  • Funds—the bookstore will accept cash and cards. The Barn Socials and evening Pubs will provide a cash bar, with cash and cards accepted.  There is no ATM on campus.
  • Alarm clock
  • Small cooler, if you wish—access to a refrigerator is not generally available.
  • Book-light
  • Eyeshade/sleep mask
  • Reusable mug/thermos
  • Yoga mat (see Yoga section below)
  • We’re sorry, but pets are not allowed on campus.
  • Binoculars (for the nature walk, if you would like to attend).
  • Extension cord
  • Adapter for your three-pronged laptop or hairdryer (in a few places on campus, some outlets are two-pronged)
  • There is a fully equipped computer room on the Bread Loaf campus, with Macs and PCs; however, if you like, you can bring along your laptop or iPad.  Wi-Fi access is available in most public spaces, including the Library, Inn, and Barn.

Schedule Snapshot

Below you’ll see an outline of a typical conference day. Please note that each day is a little different, of course, but this snapshot will give you an idea of what to expect. We hope it’s helpful as you prepare for your time at Bread Loaf.

A Daily Schedule that includes the full schedule for each day and with final details and locations will be included in the registration packet that participants receive upon arrival. 

Please note that the info below is subject to change.

7:30 a.m., Breakfast
9 a.m., Faculty Lecture
10:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., Participants meet with their workshop group that consists of the faculty member, a fellow, and up to ten participants with manuscripts (please see workshop note below) 
11:30 a.m., lunch available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m., Blue Parlor Readings are scheduled to take place on some days
2:45 p.m., Craft classes scheduled to take place on some days
4:15 p.m., Faculty Reading
5:15 p.m., Nightly Barn Social; conference-wide outdoor receptions are scheduled to take place on some days
6:15 p.m., Dinner available from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
8:15 p.m., Faculty Reading
9:15 p.m., Nightly Barn Pub and additional events scheduled for some days, including readings, a dance

Notes: 
—All workshops will meet on the first Thursday afternoon, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thereafter, workshops will meet from 10:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. generally every other day (nonfiction and poetry workshops meet one day and fiction workshops meet the next) until the final Friday, when all workshops meet again at the same time in the afternoon.
—In addition to the scheduled meetings and events listed above, during registration you will receive information regarding your meetings with agents and editors, if you chose to sign up for a meeting. 
—During the first group workshop the faculty member will schedule an individual conference with each participant; the individual meeting will take place during the session and be used to further discuss the manuscript.

Workshops

Workshops will meet five times during the conference. All workshops will meet on Thursday, August 15, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (please note that this first workshop is 2.5 hours long). Thereafter, workshops will meet for two hours generally every other day.

On July 17 you will receive access to a folder of the manuscripts for your workshop. The packet will contain the manuscript of each person taking part in your group. The folder will also contain a coversheet that lists the meeting dates, times, and locations. It will be important for you to print the full set of materials for your workshop at home so that you can bring the hardcopies along with you to the conference. Unfortunately, conference copying facilities are not able to handle printing individual folders.

Also on July 17 you will receive an assignment to prepare for the first workshop meeting. Though the first assignment varies depending on the faculty member, it usually involves reading a selection from the packet of workshop materials. Some faculty will include reading from an additional source, in which case, the additional pieces will also be included in the manuscript and first assignment folder.

Craft Classes

During the conference there are five afternoons when a selection of craft classes will be offered by faculty, fellows, and guests. This year the classes will take place at 2:30 p.m. on August 17, 18, 20, 21, and 22. Each class is limited to 25 participants, so we ask Bread Loafers to sign up in advance on the mountain. A list of the craft class descriptions will be included in the registration packet that you receive upon arrival.

We will send out two sign-up link emails, one for week one classes (includes August 17 and 18 class days) and one for week two classes (includes August 20, 21, and 22 class days).

The Week-one sign-up email will go out on Thursday, August 15 at 8:30 a.m.
The Week-two sign-up email will go out on Monday, August 19 at 8:30 a.m.

Blue Parlor Readings

During the conference, you are invited to take part in the Blue Parlor readings. These informal readings, hosted by a Bread Loaf staff member, will take place in the Barn Tent. These readings are an opportunity to share some of your work and to meet Bread Loafers from other workshops. Spots are limited, so those interested in reading will be asked to sign up in advance on the mountain. Participants should plan on reading for up to three minutes. You’ll find more information about the readings and how to sign up in the materials you receive on registration day.

Agent/Editor Meetings

Many of you come to Bread Loaf hoping to learn more about the world of publishing. We offer a panel that gives an overview of the industry and also some talks on specific topics. We also arrange agent/editor meetings for all Bread Loafers who are interested. If you chose to sign up for a meeting using the online form sent in an earlier mailing, you will receive a sheet during registration that will note the details: guest name, type of meeting (group or individual), location, date, and time.

At these meetings you will have an opportunity to make a contact, ask questions, and get advice about seeking publication. These meetings are not designed for you to secure an agent or editor, but you can expect to get good advice from someone expert in the field.

Barn Social and Barn Pub

The Barn, located in a central spot on the Bread Loaf campus, is a place for participants to gather and socialize. On most evenings from 9:30 p.m. to midnight a Barn Pub is set up with beer and wine for purchase and soda and snacks available free of charge. In addition to the Barn Pub, a Barn Social will take place on most days from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. There is no ATM on campus, however the bars will accept cards as well as cash.

Housing

Most rooms at Bread Loaf are doubles, and bathrooms are shared on each floor. Participants should plan on having a roommate. Due to the size of the conference, changes in room assignments will not be possible.

Some rooms on campus are located on the second and third floors of buildings. If you have special needs for medical reasons, please let Noreen or Jason know right away, so arrangements can be made for you.

Pillows, sheets, blankets, and towels are provided. Each bed will have the folded stack of clean linens placed at the end of the mattress so participants and faculty are able to make their bed. The Bread Loaf Inn Front Desk staff can assist with providing additional linens during the week as requested.

Bread Loaf is a smoke-free campus. Vermont State Law prohibits smoking in any building on campus, including dormitories.

Participants may make arrangements to stay off campus, if they wish to, and let Bread Loaf staff know. Please note that any off-campus lodging will require a vehicle in order to commute to the Bread Loaf campus in Ripton.

If you have arranged for off-campus housing, please notify Noreen or Jason as soon as possible and provide them with the address and phone number of where you’ll be staying.

Meals

Meals are served as a buffet in the Bread Loaf Inn dining room. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are available, and the kitchen staff is able to accommodate food allergies.

Bread Loaf has a large Dining Room, but for those who would like to enjoy their meals outdoors, a selection of picnic blankets will be available as well as picnic tables and Adirondack chairs on the Bread Loaf lawns. We invite those driving from home to bring along camping chairs. 

Wi-Fi

Participants will receive a temporary Middlebury email via an ITS Welcome note (see details in the Middlebury Email section above). Once on campus, participants access Wi-Fi by choosing MiddleburyCollege from the WiFi options that come up on their personal device and entering their Middlebury email and password.

Alternatively, participants may use the MiddleburyGuest WiFi option with your own personal information. Some applications may not be available if using the MiddleburyGuest WiFi.

Ways to Connect with Home While on Campus

Email:

You will be able to stay in touch via email. A computer lab located in the library on campus has Macs and PCs available. And if you bring your laptop, iPad, or phone, wireless access is available in public spaces (and possibly in your room, though that is not a sure thing). Please see the important wi-fi note above on how to register for wi-fi once on campus.

Phone:

Cell phone service is available in the Bread Loaf Inn and the Barn on the Bread Loaf campus but access is intermittent depending upon your provider. Verizon and AT&T should work fine.  Other providers may not work. While on campus participants have successfully stayed in touch with home using their smartphone to access wi-fi calling, Facetime, or Zoom. There are landlines available on the campus—usually one phone per floor in each of the buildings. After you arrive, you could share that floor phone number with family at home. The phone for the main switchboard on campus is 802-443-2700 (hours are usually 8 AM to 10 PM). The Front Desk staff member will transfer the call to your floor or take a message for you, if needed. 

You can also give people the Bread Loaf Office info, and we will get any messages to you (e-mail: blwc@middlebury.edu; phone: 802-443-5286).

Mail

Address for mail

Participant’s Name
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
PO Box 216
Ripton, VT 05766

Address for FedEx or UPS

Participant’s Name
Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference
4229 Route 125
Ripton, VT 05766

Mail can only be received Monday, August 12, through Thursday, August 22. We cannot be responsible for mail arriving before August 12 or after August 22, as the Bread Loaf post office will be closed.

Library & Apple Cellar Computer Room

The Davison Memorial Library at Bread Loaf hosts a collection of reference books and literature, including reserve shelves stocked with books by faculty and fellows. It’s also the home of the Apple Cellar (Bread Loaf’s computer room), which is located on the bottom floor of the Library.  

There are PCs and Macs available to use in the Apple Cellar and also on the first and second floor of the Library. To print during the conference, Bread Loafers use their Middlebury email to log into one of these College computers and from there send their document to a printer nearby. (See the Middlebury Email section above for more details.)

Bookstore

Our bookstore partner during the conference is Phoenix Books, a locally-owned, independent store. Phoenix Books at Bread Loaf will stock books written by faculty and fellows as well as some participants and guests. Look for the store on the bottom floor of Annex Cottage, the building located next to the Bread loaf Inn. Cash and cards are accepted.

Consignment Books

Our bookstore partner, Phoenix Books will accept books to sell on consignment.  If you would like to sell your book(s) on consignment, please read the following instructions.

In order to sell books on consignment, please complete the Bread Loaf Consignment Form by 5 p.m. EST, Wednesday, July 17. 

On the consignment form, please list your name, address, email, phone number, title of book, 13 digit ISBN (if available), the retail price, and the quantity you will be bringing with you to Bread Loaf (we ask that you bring no more than 10 copies). After the conference, Phoenix Books will send you a check for 80% of the sale price.  They will keep 20%.

If you do not submit the consignment form by Wednesday, July 17 we will not be able to sell your book(s) on consignment.

When you get to Bread Loaf on August 14, stop by the bookstore to give them the copies of your book(s). Please note that there will be a 24-hour turn around before your books can be sold at Bread Loaf. 

You must pick up any unsold copies on Friday, August 23 by 4 p.m.  Any books not picked up will not be returned and will become property of Phoenix Books.

Please reach out to the Bread Loaf staff at blwc@middlebury.edu if you have any questions.

Front Desk

Visit the Front Desk in the Bread Loaf Inn for matters regarding your room and lodging, moose facts, lost and found items, local lore, information about local walking/running trails, buying postage, mailing packages, transportation tips, and other general information.

This summer the Front Desk will have masks and COVID-19 antigen tests available during the session.

Back Office

Visit the Back Office in the Bread Loaf Inn with any workshop, class, or scheduling questions. Faxing via the Back Office may be possible.

Laundry

Coin-op washers and dryers are in the Laundry House in front of the Barn. Attendees provide their own laundry detergent. If you need change for the machines, the Front Desk staff will be glad to help. Some irons are also available.

Parking

Please park your vehicle in the large parking lot in front of the Barn. It is illegal to park on Route 125 and you may get a ticket.

Self-care During the Conference

The conference schedule is quite busy, and we want to take this time to note how important it will be to pace yourself and to take care of yourself during the session. To this end, yoga classes will be offered daily. AA Meetings are scheduled to take place daily. See details below, and find more ideas listed in the Extracurricular Activities section later in this Handbook.

Yoga instructor Joanna Colwell will offer Iyengar yoga classes daily from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. in Barn 008. The classes are appropriate for all abilities and all are welcome. A handful of mats will be available. If you’re able to bring your mat from home, please do. There will be no yoga on Saturday, August 24, the departure day.

AA Meetings are scheduled to take place daily from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and from 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. in the Upstairs Library (Back end of Building). To schedule additional meeting times while on the mountain, just let a Back Office Staff member know. Staff will reserve the room and include a note about the meetings on the Crumb newsletter.

Health Matters

In case of emergency dial 911 from any campus phone. A sign near each phone lists important details including the exact address and phone number for that location.

For non-emergency health matters, a self-care cart is available near the lobby of the Bread Loaf Inn. The cart is stocked with items such as Band-Aids, Advil, and Tylenol.

Please plan to bring Benadryl pills and ointment in case of bug bites as well as any other first-aid items you feel might be necessary for your personal comfort during the session. And should you find that the cart does not address your particular concerns, the Bread Loaf Inn front desk staff will help you with a referral, and Porter Hospital is located in Middlebury, if needed.

Please see the Covid-19 section above for current policies.

For mental health matters, we invite you to schedule an appointment with the Bread Loaf counselor (contact details will be included in the registration packet). Bread Loaf staff members, Jennifer Grotz, Lauren Francis-Sharma, Noreen Cargill, and Jason Lamb, are also available to make a referral, if you wish, and the emergency number at the Counseling Service of Addison County is an option at any time (dial 9 and then 388-7641 from any campus phone; dial 1-802-388-7641 from your cell phone).

When packing, remember to bring your prescription medications and your medical insurance card. We also recommend that you bring a list of your current prescription and non-prescription medications and the phone and fax numbers for your health care provider.

Emergencies on the Bread Loaf Campus

In case of serious medical emergency or fire on the Bread Loaf Campus, always call 911 from any campus phone or from your cell phone. A sign near each campus phone lists important details including the exact address and phone number for that location.

In case of non-life threatening but urgent matters, contact the Bread Loaf Inn Front Desk at x2700 from any campus phone or 802-443-2700 from your cell phone (Front Desk Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.). Outside of office hours, call x2911 from any campus phone or 802-443-2911 from your cell phone to reach facilities staff who will help you with the situation.

We recommend making note of the numbers listed above so you can have them handy during the session.

For emergencies that affect the Bread Loaf campus, the Middlebury Department of Public Safety uses the RAVE alert system to notify attendees via email and also by text for those who have cell service on campus.

Extracurricular Activities

There are many things to do on campus and in the area when not in workshops. The Front Desk may have some equipment available for games such as volleyball, frisbee, wiffle ball, and croquet.

Scheduled

  • A dance
  • Writers’ Cramp Run for fun
  • Robert Frost picnic
  • Book signing
  • Outdoor receptions
  • An evening coffee reception
  • Barn Social and Barn Pub

Unscheduled

  • Hiking trails around campus
  • Visiting the stream just across the hayfield
  • Swimming in Lake Pleiad (transportation needed to get to the trail head)
  • Tennis

Middlebury College Athletics Facilities

The Middlebury College athletics facilities, located on Middlebury’s main campus, are available to Bread Loaf participants; however, you will want to note that a car will be needed to get to the facilities. The main campus is about a twenty-minute drive from the Bread Loaf campus. You’ll find the hours listed on the Athletics Facility web page. The athletics facility staff will have a list of conference participants on hand, so you will just need to give your name to a staff member upon entering the building. The Bread Loaf Inn Front Desk staff would be happy to give you directions to the athletics complex.

The Crumb

The Crumb is the daily Bread Loaf newsletter, which will be published throughout the conference. You’ll find copies of it just outside the Dining Room each morning. Be sure to pick up a copy each day and read through it. It will have notes on schedule changes, guests who will arrive that day, and other important conference information.