So where we will commune for our inaugural gathering in October 2025? Well, even if you’ve already decided you’d like to join us, keep reading, because our location is a huge part of what will make our gathering so special. 

That’s because the Blue Ridge Assembly is (in our totally unbiased opinion) located in one of the most beautiful parts of the country—Black Mountain, North Carolina. Situated in the midst of 1,200 acres of Appalachian wilderness, the center is home to an abundance of wonders, like the whimsically named goat’s-beard wildflower. But more on that once you get here. . . . First, a bit of history:

As you may know, the Hellbender Gathering of Poets will not be the first community of artists to convene at the Blue Ridge Assembly. It was once home to the infamous Black Mountain College. An eclectic and unconventional legend, this institution was founded with the philosophy that art is at the center of all learning. There was no curriculum. No formal grades. And students decided when (or if) they graduated. Today, the college holds a place of reverence in the collective memory of artists across the world.

As far as who attended Black Mountain College—we could give you a laundry list of impressive names. As writers, though, the folks we’re most interested in are the Black Mountain Poets, which include Denise Levertov, Robert Creeley, and Charles Olson (to name just a few). There’s so much we could (and would love) to say about the poets that learned and wrote there—but here’s our point: There is a reason that Black Mountain College decided to first build their community at the Blue Ridge Assembly. 

Should you walk down one of the many Blue Ridge Trails there, you’ll encounter the lush magic of sugar maple, tulip trees, swamp rose, swamp weed. Depending on the season and time of day, you’ll hear an Eastern Screech-Owl chortle. Or katydids chirring. Or the echo of a pileated woodpecker. Watch, listen, take note. There’s much to notice and learn from Black Mountain.

Also know your accommodations will not mean you will be roughing it. No, not by any means. You wouldn’t even be “glamping,” though we’re fans of such. We think that you’ll be downright comfortable here. Each room in the Blue Ridge Center is outfitted like a hotel with queen beds and a private bath, and you can choose to either bunk with a fellow poet or pay extra to have a room to yourself, whatever suits your fancy.

There are also handicapped accessible rooms for those who need them, and elevator access is available to all floors. The dining hall is also located in the building where we’ll sleep, so all meals (which are included in the tuition) will just be down the hall.

Weather depending, every night we’ll stoke a bonfire for all of us to gather in song and story (and s’mores!), and each morning, our expert naturalists will guide you on the trails to introduce you to the community of living beings in these mountains and help you enter into their story. TheAppalachian Mountains are unrivaled in the US for diversity of species, particularly aquatic ones, like our beloved hellbender salamanders, so there are so many beings to meet here.

Just picture it. . . . It’s an evening in October.  You’re surrounded by fellow word nerds and dreamers, deliciously tired after a day spent among poems and falling leaves. Underneath your feet is Black Mountain. Above you a cathedral of stars. And of course—all around you—the Blue Ridge Mountains. You might think to yourself, yes, of course, these trees, these beings that live among them—they’re all worth fighting for, not just here but everywhere. Because, yes, of course they are. And with the words you find, you might just play a role in saving them.