Writing Wild in Yellowstone | Spokane News

Eastern Washington University’s wild writing retreat takes creative students deep into Yellowstone, where professor Jonathan Johnson has led 20 years of transformative trips—each student guaranteed a wolf sighting. Instead of polishing prose, students fill notebooks with raw, unfiltered thoughts, sharing only what moves them. Thanks to the new Youngs Endowment for National Park Studies, costs dropped in half, opening doors for more students. Beyond writing, the magic lies in connecting with park visitors—especially kids—through wolf-viewing scopes, sparking awe and wonder. For some, like master’s student Harvey Anderson, it’s a breakthrough from writer’s block, even inspiring a return trip. The endowment, founded by Professor Bill Youngs, supports interdisciplinary park studies—travel, books, and more—empowering students from all fields. One student, Elsa Cruz, shifted from trying to write as a wolf to embracing the park’s wild unpredictability, leading to richer, more personal work and deeper conversations with peers and professor. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ad1655a538e3210b