Madville’s first in-person writing workshop
June 25-28, 2026
Spatterdock Guesthouses
Uncertain, Texas
We chose the name “Mad Barnstorming” for our writing workshop for several reasons. Mad is part of our name, and we are kind of mad (as in crazy) to do what we do at all. Kerry Neville (faculty member) has a memoir out with Mad in the title (Momma May Be Mad.) But most of all, the largest cottage at Spatterdock, where we will be staying and conducting the workshops is named “Barnstormer Cottage.” That will be our home for three days.
Uncertain, Texas? Is that really the name of a town?
Yes. Uncertain, Texas, is a place that spawns stories. We don’t want anyone to misunderstand where we’re going. And we loved this documentary film that was made about the place in 2015. Here is the trailer to give you a flavor of the place. (The full-length documentary is available to rent from Amazon Prime, and while you’re there, look for Bernie starring Jack Black and Shirley McClean. If you love dialect the way we do, that film will make you happy. It was shot near Uncertain, and the locals they recorded as research were better than any actor they could have hired, so they used those original interview reels. It’s brilliantly done.) The guest houses where we will be staying are nestled within giant cedar trees, right on the water, but it is a gentile neighborhood. There are quirky art cars parked around the place in purpose-built carports. It’s a place where artists come to relax. We’ll be right at home.
We are trying to share a place unlike any other. It is unspoiled. Getting there isn’t as difficult as you might think.
Our faculty are amazing! You have heard us talk about them before. They are Gerry LaFemina, Michael Simms, and Kerry Neville. All are multi-genre authors who also teach creative writing at the university level.
The location is rustic, atmospheric, awe-inspiring. We’ve booked all the space at Spatterdock guesthouses, but we hope also to attract more writers than that, either from the local area, or from elsewhere. There are quite a few guesthouses and cabins in the area. We will also be near Jefferson, Texas, and Marshall, Texas, where additional guesthouses are plentiful. READ About Caddo Lake State Park.
We’ve created a dedicated website about the event. MadBarnstorming.com
please share!
SPACE IS LIMITED. Please reserve your seat early. You can hold your spot with a nonrefundable $50 deposit.
The photo gallery below shows pictures from a couple of different trips Kim took to Caddo Lake. Most of these photos are by John R. Fortune, who is pictured here alongside the text he contributed heavily to, The Northeast Corner of Harrison County, Texas. John will be our contact person in the region. Kim is pictured at Johnson’s Ranch, in Uncertain, Texas, on a sunrise boat ride, and at the railway museum in Marshall, Texas. The mosaic art and the art cars are all around Spatterdock.
Faculty
We have three authors who have all published in multiple genres, poetry and prose, fiction and nonfiction, popular and literary. All three are professors who also have experience with the business of publishing and
getting published. These are the initial subjects they have suggested speaking about, but we will be
somewhat fluid here and attendees can expect the really rich conversations to happen around the fire pit in
the evenings.
Kerry Neville: “Writing Truth, Writing True: Writing Short (But Not Shortsighted) Meditative Essays”
Michael Simms: “Dragons, vampires and detectives: why genre fiction?”
Gerry LaFemina: “The Poetic Line: Finding Best Words and Best Order”
$995 stay on-site
(we can accommodate 12)
$495 for workshops & meals only
(There are guest houses and cabins near Spatterdock.)
