Reflections on the 2024 BK Authors Retreat

By Bruce Rosenstein

If my experience was typical, the November 1–4 BK Authors retreat at the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, California was a meaningful and powerful event that met and exceeded expectations. The combination of Idyllic surroundings, perfect sunshine, and polite, interesting, and friendly companions made for an unforgettable experience.

The power of connection was a huge theme of the retreat, and the entire time presented endless opportunities to connect (on as deep a level as you would care to go) with other people, as well as connecting with high-quality, plentiful information.

The participants represented a cross-section of (mostly) BK authors, with a few non-BK authors, plus select BK friends and BK staff members. The latter were gracious with their time and talents: Praveen Madan, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, Kristen Frantz, Neal Maillet, Christy Kirk, Elsa Frantz, and Sarah Nelson. Each day there was a sense of collective wisdom and hard-won experience and insights at the center.

The BK Retreat committee merits our thanks for their care in preparing and implementing the activities: Noah Blumenthal, Marcia Daszko, Eric FitzMedrud, Gerald Harris, Jeremy Madsen, Brad McLain, Marcia Reynolds, Leslie Yerkes, and Julie Winkle Giulioni.

One of the reasons the retreat ran so smoothly was the expert participation of BK Authors operations manager, Jeremy Madsen. There wasn’t a problem he couldn’t solve, and his calm, good-humored approach and can-do attitude helped everyone to focus on our individual reasons for making the most of our time. Jeremy also moderated a fantastic session on Sunday afternoon, “What Are Your Sources of Determination, Renewal and Hope?,” one of my favorites of the entire retreat.

Variety of Activities

There was a tremendous variety of things to do: different types of sessions, activities, time spent alone or with others, etc. The Los Altos setting (the scene of previous BK Authors retreats) is also unusual compared to many of the other retreat locations: while the grounds of the retreat are secluded and beautiful, it is a short walk through a leafy, upscale residential area into the compact and charming downtown area of Los Altos. And a few minutes’ walk from the retreat center was the magnificent Redwoods Grove, where Neal led a group walk on day one.

As always, the meals presented a perfect opportunity to meet and connect with others, especially people we had not met before. (We also shared the space with other groups who were on different retreats—including a silent one—at the Center.)

A new addition this year was a 25-minute “Family Group Time” (especially for the benefit of first-time participants), which was scheduled to help us get our bearings within small groups at the beginning of the retreat, late Friday afternoon. This proved to be a welcoming and grounding innovation. My group leader, Eric FitzMedrud (not a BK author, but a member of the committee and a psychologist based in Los Altos), helped set the tone for the retreat with his calming, empathetic presence. (The leaders for the other groups were Marcia Daszko, Julie Winkle Giulioni, Gerald Harris, Leslie Yerkes, and Marcia Reynolds.)

After the first night dinner, the ensuing activities, “Human Treasure Hunt,” and “Fast Friends,” brought the entire group together, in the Rotunda, with its magnificent, panoramic views of Silicon Valley, and the site of each all-member session.

The treasure hunt was a terrific, fast-paced ice-breaker. Part of the handout description set out what we were supposed to do: “We’re about to engage in a hunt . . . during which we’ll discover the resources and treasures of the people in our group. The purpose of this non-competitive activity is for you to become acquainted with those you don’t know and catch up with those you do.”

I was not previously aware of the Fast Friends Procedure, which I learned was referenced in Charles Duhigg’s recent book Supercommunicators, and which is drawn from the 1970s-era work of the psychologists Arthur Aron and Elaine Aron.

There are 36 questions, in three sets, with each partner asking the questions of each other, starting with number one, “Given the choice of anyone in the world, who would you want as a dinner guest?,” and ending with number thirty six, “Share a personal problem and ask your partner’s advice on how he or she might handle it. Also, ask your partner to reflect back to you on how you seem to be feeling about the problem you’ve chosen.” I found this to be an amazing experience, one of the absolute highlights of the retreat.

Making the Most of the Retreat Experience

Another reason that I feel that expectations were met was that so many of us were serious about following the “agreements to get the most from this retreat experience,” a brief outline that was included with the retreat schedule.

The agreements, which were briefly described and could be even thought of as applicable plans for life/work in general, were, “Bring Authenticity. Activate Curiosity. Engage With Dignity. Expect Great Things. Narrate Your Experience.” For instance, the latter agreement, which I found particularly helpful and inspirational, begins: “Take time to frequently reflect and make meaning during the retreat.”

Practicality and Reflection

The retreat sessions balanced both the tactical/strategic and the reflective, with the latter usually held in the small parlor rooms adjacent to the Rotunda.

Although all the sessions, even the small group reflective ones held in the parlors, were practical in their own way, practicality was a compelling theme in many of the strategic/tactical sessions. AI/artificial intelligence was an omnipresent topic throughout the four days, including the Saturday session, “How can we make AI work for us as authors?,” led by Gerald Harris.

 Other practicality-based sessions included:

• “How can we create community with our readers?” (Kristen Frantz, Christy Kirk, and Sarah Nelson)
• “How can we use social media to better connect with readers online?” (Sarah Nelson and Elsa Frantz)
• “How can we promote our books/speaking/businesses during market decline and changing political tides?” (Fatimah Gilliam)
• “How can we-as an author community-better support each other?” (Marcia Daszko)
• “What creative strategies are you using to secure speaking, podcasts and writing gigs?” (Kristen Frantz, Christy Kirk, and Sarah Nelson)
• “Marketing Matters” (Kristen Frantz, Christy Kirk, and Sarah Nelson)

Praveen Madan

A super-highlight was the Sunday afternoon special tour of Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park, led by its CEO, Praveen Madan, also Berrett-Koehler’s CEO. Several participants volunteered to drive retreat members to this unique store, which started in the 1950s and remains a local icon. It features a knowledgeable, dedicated staff (who also led parts of the tour), and an expertly curated selection of books in comfortable, pleasant surroundings.

Praveen also discussed the Reimaging Bookstores movement, which he founded. The tour included a short film about the movement. According to its website, the movement’s mission is: “Ensuring a bright future for bookstores and their community of stakeholders—employees, owners/leaders, readers, writers, publishers, and partners.”

Praveen is also a board member of Kepler’s Literary Foundation, “a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to enriching and inspiring the community through literary and cultural programs. We provide a forum for celebrated writers, artists, and original thinkers to discuss their ideas, insights, perspectives and stories with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.”

A Saturday afternoon highlight was Praveen’s “Fireside Chat” with Kristen and Neal about BK itself, and the publishing industry, including its trends and challenges.

Walks and Talks

Interspersed throughout the four days were DIY yoga early morning hours, various walks around the grounds led by Eric,  improvisational writing sessions led by John Kador, as well as impromptu photo opportunities and “walk and talks.”

Talent Show

I enjoyed participating again this year in the talent show, held Saturday night in the Rotunda, and hosted again by “Johnny Fabulous” (AKA Rob Jolles). As usual, this was a great way to discover talents of our fellow authors that may or may not be related to writing. Sunday night’s feature was “Game night,” another opportunity to see different and super-casual sides of retreat participants. And the book giveaway table was as popular as ever.

An Energized State of Mind

By early Sunday, a few people already had to leave, and a few more followed later in the day, the last full day of the retreat. Our final day was Monday, November 4. As I have experienced at previous BK retreats, the early morning room check-out was a hurried, somewhat melancholy process.

Fortunately, it was quickly followed by breakfast and then meaningful, soul-searching closing activities. Those of us who remained gathered for one last lunch, and several activities, including “Final clean-up & farewells.” As the remaining group members waited near the patio at 2:00 for our rides, we made small talk with people just arriving for new retreats. Although we were in an energized state of mind, I think we were a bit jealous of the people who were starting their own retreat experience, not ending one.