
Workshop Descriptions and Details
Students choose from one of the genre workshops listed below and participate in the same workshop all week. Poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction are offered every July/August. Read workshop descriptions below. Find faculty biographies on Faculty & Guests page.
2020 Workshop Descriptions:
Fiction:
There are
things that we know to be true and when we write fiction, we work both with and
in opposition to these realities. This
workshop is interested in exploring the leaps we take into different realms—
the past, the future, the gothic, the lives of others—in order to develop
understandings of larger truths. There
is always “world building” in fiction, but what does it mean? How much information is too much? How much does a reader need to know in order
to understand a story? Through
presentations, readings, and workshops of ten page selections, we will strive
to understand how information is processed, controlled, and brought to life
through the lens of fiction. Also, how a
strong handling of time and structure allows the reader to truly be lost in the
worlds of stories they are reading.
Poetry:
Poems crafted from childhood memories. Moments that
stick with us. Some good, some bad. It's all excellent material
from which to craft good poems. All poets are welcomed into this
workshop. You will create 5-8 poems and together we will make them
better. Constructive criticism is mandatory. We will focus on
brainstorming, drafting, revision, and final approaches to the finish poem that
you can submit for publication.
Creative Nonfiction:
In this creative nonfiction class, we will dive into what
makes creative nonfiction a literary form like no other. Students will
critique each other's work, analyze some of the issues around an ethical
approach to creative nonfiction, explore elements of a healthy creative
practice, and discuss the trickier aspects of the publishing landscape for
creative nonfiction today.