Fall 2008 Writing Institute Courses
The Fall 2008 workshops run from September 22 to December 12, 2008 (see individual classes for exact dates).There will be no classes over the Thanksgiving holiday, from Wednesday evening, November 26, to Sunday, November 30, 2008. Any special arrangements for other holidays will be made by class consensus at the first meeting of the workshop.
The registration deadline for fall workshops is Monday, September 15, 2008. To register, download and print a registration form (PDF download).
The Writing Process
The End Is in the Beginning
Instructor: Alexandra Soiseth
Fridays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
September 26 – December 12
No class November 28
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
A great idea overtakes us — in a dream, in the shower, riding the subway, driving the kids to school. We write and write and write, but can’t seem to find our way to the ending. In this class, we will focus on overcoming the stumbling blocks to finishing a personal essay, a short story, a novel, or a memoir. In a supportive and non-competitive environment, we will focus on concrete tasks that will pull you through to the end of the story. And once you’re there, we’ll go to the next step: revision.
Alexandra Soiseth (SLC 2000 –) (B.A., University of Saskatchewan; B.A.A., Ryerson Polytechnic University; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College) is the assistant director of the M.F.A. writing program at Sarah Lawrence. She has taught writing to a variety of students, including high school students, seniors, and men and women in prison. She is the former managing editor and communications director for Global City Review, a New York City-based literary magazine, and her work has appeared on Babycenter.com, Literarymama.com, and in McGill Street Magazine, The Ryersonian, and on the radio program LifeRattle, among others. Her memoir, Choosing You, was published in May 2008 by Seal Press.
Nonfiction Workshops
Homeward Bound: Creative Nonfiction Workshop
Instructor: Steve Lewis
Wednesdays, 6 – 8 p.m.
September 24 – December 10
No class November 26
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
The home is the wellspring for almost all meaningful narrative. In this engaging creative nonfiction workshop, novice and experienced writers alike will develop family-related narratives that are honest, present, and resonant. Whether the home is a tent, a cave, a trailer, a house, a homeless shelter, or a mansion, we will shine light on the inhabitants and their stories. We will begin by dispensing with the ridiculous Tolstoy quote from Anna Karenina: “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” All families, in their joy and their sorrow, have unique stories to tell. Find the voice to tell yours.
Micro Fiction and Nonfiction: The Whole Enchilada on a Single Page (or Less)
Instructor: Steve Lewis
Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
September 24 – December 10
No class November 26
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
The great (and wordy) novelist William Faulkner, whose forte was apparently not mathematics or understatement, advised would-be authors that writing is “99% talent, 99% discipline, and 99% work.” In this unique workshop, novice and experienced writers alike will take Faulkner’s advice and exercise 297% of their writing talent, discipline, and work ethic toward the creation of short narratives. Built on image and suggestion, these short pieces will blossom into literary experiences much larger than themselves. There will be lots of inclass exercises, take-home triggers, and rich ongoing conversations about the way less can be more.
Steve Lewis is a mentor at Empire State College and a longtime freelance writer whose publication credits include The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, AARP, Chronogram, The Christian Science Monitor, and a biblically long list of parenting magazines (he has seven kids). His recent books are Zen and the Art of Fatherhood, The ABCs of Real Family Values, The Complete Guide for the Anxious Groom, and Fear and Loathing of Boca Raton: A Hippie’s Guide to the Second Sixties. A collection of poems, A Month on a Barrier Island, is scheduled for publication in November 2008. For more information, please check stevelewiswriter.com.
Travel Writing: Your Life, Your Journey
Instructor: Betty Ming Liu
Mondays, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
September 22 – December 1
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
Whether you’re writing about a fun family vacation, a favorite little spot in your neighborhood, or the emotional landscape of a life experience, your adventures make great stories. Our goal is to shape your travels into compelling, well-organized narratives wrapped around life lessons large and small. The principles that we’ll be exploring are easily adapted to the range of storytelling genres: from essays, short stories, and newspaper travel section articles to chapters of a memoir, novel — or even a blog. Both experienced and new writers can count on lots of supportive, individual feedback that will strengthen evolving writing styles and personal voice. Let’s finally get those special places and moments in your life down on paper — these stories have already waited too long to be told.
Betty Ming Liu (B.B.A., Baruch College; M.S., Columbia University School of Journalism) is a former nationally syndicated columnist for The New York Daily News who also worked at the paper as a gossip columnist, business reporter, and lifestyle writer. She has also been a staff reporter at The Newark Star-Ledger and Crain’s New York Business, and worked on-air for channel thirteen-PBS. In addition to freelance writing, she is currently teaching at NYU, The New School, mediabistro.com, and Baruch College.
The Art of the Memoir
Instructor: Joelle Sander
Fridays, 10 a.m. – noon
September 26 – December 12
(No class November 28)
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
Many people have personal experiences they would like to write about. Converting these experiences into art, however, requires honing critical skills: the conveyance of insight into one’s experience so that a piece isn’t merely anecdotal; writing effectively using fresh, clear language; learning how to organize a work; finding an appropriate narrator’s voice; developing characters and dialogue; learning to use particulars rather than generalities. Students will be asked to read their work to the class out loud every other week, and to offer constructive comments about the work of other students. Rewrites are also encouraged and readings by other writers will also be assigned. Students who have not attended this class before must submit a writing sample of three pages to: jsander@sarahlawrence.edu.
Joelle Sander (SLC 1989 –) (B.A., Sarah Lawrence College; M.A., New York University) is the associate director of the Center for Continuing Education and has taught in the Center’s B.A. program. Her own books include Before Their Time: Four Generations of Teenage Mothers, published by Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, and The Family (co-written by Joan Berg Victor), published by Bobbs Merrill, as well as numerous professional articles and chapters in the field of adolescent fathers, mothers, and adolescent pregnancy. She has written many articles for magazines and newspapers including The New York Times, Parents Magazine, and Parenting.
Fiction Workshops
Introduction to Fiction Writing
Instructors: Patricia Dunn and Jimin Han
Saturdays, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
September 27 - December 13
No class November 29
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
There are two things that most writers need and crave: time and space. In this class, we give ourselves the gift of time. In the nurturing space here at Sarah Lawrence College, we find and begin to write the stories we live every day. Using our histories, our memories, and our senses as launching pads, we will begin to transform the ordinariness of our lives into extraordinary fiction. This class is for those who want to write but don’t yet believe they have anything to say, as well as for those who want to write but need the time and space to do it.
Patricia Dunn (M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College) has been contributing editor of Muslim Wakeup!, America’s most popular Muslim online magazine, with over 200,000 monthly readers, since 2003. Her fiction has appeared in Global City Review and her nonfiction work in Salon.com, Women’s eNews, The Christian Science Monitor, Village Voice, The Nation, and L.A. Weekly, among other publications. Her work is anthologized in Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write Their Bodies, Kent State University Press, 2007.
Fiction Writing
(Intermediate/Advanced Level)
Instructor: Steven Schnur
Thursdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
September 25 – December 11
(No class November 27)
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
In writing fiction, we discover essential truths about ourselves and others that the workshop environment enables us to fully realize. By providing a sense of audience as well as constructive and supportive criticism that focuses on richness of language, originality of thought, succinctness, and narrative cohesion, this class enables writers to quickly identify their strengths while providing tools necessary to address their weaknesses. Through weekly presentations of work in progress, participants hone both their writing skills and their critical faculties as they respond to each other’s stories and essays.
Steven Schnur (B.A., Sarah Lawrence College; M.A., Graduate Center, City University of New York) has published numerous books for adults and children, including Days of Awe, Sanctuary, Father’s Day, The Koufax Dilemma, The Shadow Children (winner of the Sidney Taylor Award for outstanding juvenile fiction), and The Tie Man’s Miracle: A Chanukah Tale (which aired as a PBS animated special in 2005).
Finding Your Voice/Creating Convincing Dialogue
Instructor: Sarah Goodyear
Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
September 24 – December 10
No class November 26
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
Whether you’re writing memoir or fiction, establishing a compelling and convincing voice is vital. In this class, we will use a variety of writing assignments to create convincing dialogue and understand how language gives a distinctive shape to our stories. We will pay close attention to word choice and the use of idiom and slang in dialogue. We’ll also talk about how interviewing, conversation, and even eavesdropping can inform the identities a writer creates.
Sarah Goodyear (B.A., University of California – Berkeley) has worked as a journalist for nearly two decades, writing and editing for publications including the Village Voice, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, and Ms. magazine. She is the moderator for a book club featured on the Bryant Park Project, a radio show from NPR News. Her first novel, View From a Burning Bridge, was published in 2007 by Red Hen Press.
Writing for Children and Young Adults
Instructor: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Mondays, 10 a.m. – noon
September 29 – December 8
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
In this class, we will focus on the key elements of creating stories for children and adolescents. Whether exploring the picture book, journeying into fiction or nonfiction for the older reader, or branching into young adult literature, we will pay particular attention to creating worlds through texts that evoke imagery and inspire our readers’ imaginations and emotions. The class will include discussion of the submission and publication process and is intended for anyone who has ever wanted to write and publish a book for young people.
Alyssa Satin Capucilli (B.A., Sarah Lawrence College) is the author of more than 50 books for children, including the best-selling series for emergent readers, Biscuit. She is a recipient of numerous honors, including the Washington Irving Award, the Garden State Award, and several American Library Association awards.
Novel Writing Workshop
Instructors: Patricia Dunn and Jimin Han
Thursdays, noon – 2 p.m.
September 25 – December 11
No class November 27
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
Are you in the middle of a first draft? Second, third, or when-will-this-be-over draft? Or are you just starting to think about writing a novel? Wherever you are in the process of writing an extended piece of fiction, this is a course that will challenge and support you. Along with group feedback, you and your work will receive a great deal of one-on-one attention from the instructors.
Patricia Dunn (M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College) has been contributing editor of Muslim Wakeup!, America’s most popular Muslim online magazine, with over 200,000 monthly readers, since 2003. Her fiction has appeared in Global City Review and her nonfiction work in Salon.com, Women’s eNews, The Christian Science Monitor, Village Voice, The Nation, and L.A. Weekly, among other publications. Her work is anthologized in Stories of Illness and Healing: Women Write Their Bodies, Kent State University Press, 2007.
Jimin Han (B.A., Cornell University; M.F.A., Sarah Lawrence College). Her nonfiction and fiction can be found in The NuyorAsian Anthology, Global City Review, The Asian American Pacific Journal, EssentialMom.com, and on NPR, among others.
Micro Fiction and Nonfiction: The Whole Enchilada on a Single Page (or Less)
Instructor: Steve Lewis
Wednesdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
September 24 – December 10
No class November 26
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
The great (and wordy) novelist William Faulkner, whose forte was apparently not mathematics or understatement, advised would-be authors that writing is “99% talent, 99% discipline, and 99% work.” In this unique workshop, novice and experienced writers alike will take Faulkner’s advice and exercise 297% of their writing talent, discipline, and work ethic toward the creation of short narratives. Built on image and suggestion, these short pieces will blossom into literary experiences much larger than themselves. There will be lots of inclass exercises, take-home triggers, and rich ongoing conversations about the way less can be more.
Steve Lewis is a mentor at Empire State College and a longtime freelance writer whose publication credits include The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, AARP, Chronogram, The Christian Science Monitor, and a biblically long list of parenting magazines (he has seven kids). His recent books are Zen and the Art of Fatherhood, The ABCs of Real Family Values, The Complete Guide for the Anxious Groom, and Fear and Loathing of Boca Raton: A Hippie’s Guide to the Second Sixties. A collection of poems, A Month on a Barrier Island, is scheduled for publication in November 2008. For more information, please check stevelewiswriter.com.
Screenwriting
Introduction to Screenwriting
Instructor: Scott Webster
Tuesdays, 6 – 8 p.m.
September 23 – December 2
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
Turn your ideas into movies by learning the basic principles of writing for the screen. Focus will be on character development, story structure, dialogue, theme, and imagery. Class will consist of group critiques in a workshop environment and analysis of great cinematic stories. Students will leave with the first act (approx. thirty pages) of a feature-length screenplay or a completed short subject. All genres welcome.
Scott Webster (B.F.A., University of Colorado; M.F.A., Columbia University) has won numerous awards for his screenplay, The Buddy Grim Show, including Faculty Honors at the 2008 Columbia University Film Festival and placing in the top 13 out of 3,500 in the 2007 Scriptapalooza Screenwriting Competition. He was recently invited to participate in ScriptConnect, an initiative that introduces talented young writers to top industry professionals. He also works as a script analyst for Walt Disney Pictures.
Poetry
Poetry Matters
Instructor: Joan Larkin
Mondays, 10 a.m. – noon
September 22 – December 1
11 sessions; Tuition: $550
In this workshop, we’ll develop strategies for beginning and completing new poems, exploring our unique voices and passions, extending and sharpening our craft, and turning our artistic problems to our advantage. We’ll do close readings of each other’s work and of published poetry, absorbing the music, memorable language, and wild, unpredictable things that make us want to read a poem over and over. The craft issues we discuss will arise organically from poems participants bring to class, but our emphasis will be on letting more into the poem–opening to difficulty, depth, and mystery, and giving ourselves permission to be original.
Joan Larkin (B.A., Swarthmore; M.A., University of Arizona; M.F.A., Brooklyn College) is the author of My Body: New and Selected Poems, which received the Publishing Triangle’s 2008 Audre Lorde Award. Her books include Cold River, Sor Juana’s Love Poems, A Long Sound, and Housework. She has edited four anthologies of poetry and prose, served as a founding poetry editor of Bloom, and co-edits the University of Wisconsin Press memoir series Living Out. Her awards include fellowships from the NEA and NYFA. Now in her fourth decade of teaching, Joan is delighted to return to Sarah Lawrence College.