Iowa Summer Writing Festival


Previous Page \| Registration Form \| Site Map \| Next Page
Workshop Descriptions & Instructors Faith Adiele Mary Allen Kate Aspengren Thomas Fox Averill Nancy Barry Timothy Bascom Linda Bendorf Venise Berry Bruce Bond Michael Dennis Browne Susan Taylor Chehak John Dalton Thomas K. Dean Amber Dermont Kelly Dwyer Hope Edelman Josh Emmons Katie Ford Patricia Foster Laura Fraser Cecile Goding Douglas Goetsch Kevin González John Griesemer Sands Hall Christine Hemp Jim Heynen Rick Hillis Charles Holdefer Richard Jackson Cheryl Fusco Johnson Wayne Johnson Bret Anthony Johnston Daniel Khalastchi Zachary Lazar Carolyn Lieberg BK Loren Fritz Mc Donald James McKean Gordon Mennenga Katherine Min Sharelle Byars Moranville Michael Morse Barbara Robinette Moss Marc Nieson Shannon Olson Lon Otto Juliet Patterson Anjali Sachdeva Sarah Saffian Sam Samuels Leslie Schwartz Sandra Scofield Mary Kay Shanley Carol Spindel Karen Subach Mary Vermillion Ashley Warlick Jan Weissmiller Bart Yates	Mary Allen Getting At The Essence: What Things Have To Teach Us Weekend Workshop June 21–22 Finding The Story In Your Story: A Memoir Writing Workshop One-Week Workshop July 6–11 Exploring Spiritual Writing One-Week Workshop July 20–25 Biography Getting At The Essence: What Things Have To Teach Us Weekend Workshop June 21–22 Just as “God is in the details,” every object is a universe unto itself. Objects can serve as microcosms that illuminate reality, and the way we respond to a given object can tell us volumes about ourselves. In this weekend workshop, you’ll participate in a number of in-class writing exercises that use a series of unique objects as jumping off points. All participants will write about the same object at the same time, an exercise which, paradoxically, will allow each student to discover and appreciate his or her unique style and sensibility. This fun, surprising, and low-stress workshop is for beginning writers who are seeking to find their own voice and who are just beginning to explore what their material is. Even if you haven’t written a word, this workshop is for you. Finding The Story In Your Story: A Memoir Writing Workshop One-Week Workshop July 6–11 Each life is full of stories, rich with meaning and peopled by fascinating characters. This class will help students find the stories in their own stories and get them down on paper. The course will use a variety of writing exercises to spark memories and help make their way onto the page. One of our goals will be learning to write more freely by practicing turning off the overly self-critical internal editor. We’ll also work on using specific detail and language, and become familiar with narrative techniques such as voice, narrative drive, and dual past/present perspective to develop our own stories effectively. Students will be generating new work through exercises and assignments, and student writing will be shared in a positive, supportive environment. The class is for writers at all stages—from beginners to those with work in progress. Exploring Spiritual Writing One-Week Workshop July 20–25 What do the people, animals, events, and problems we encounter in our daily lives have to teach us? How can we tap into the sacred to enhance our sense of beauty and connectedness and to explore ourselves and our ways of being in the world? In this workshop, students will use a variety of in-class writing exercises to consider the answers to these questions, and to examine what they feel, sense, and know—or might not know—about hope, grace, the meaning of life and death, and more. Biography Mary Allen is the author of a memoir, The Rooms of Heaven, published by Alfred A. Knopf and Vintage Books. She received an M.F.A. from The University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and in 2002 was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts creative writing fellowship for work on a second book-length memoir. She has taught in the Nonfiction Writing Program at The University of Iowa and lives and writes in Iowa City.

	Site Map \| Welcome \| Workshops by Session Date \| Workshops by Instructor Workshops by Genre \| Registration & Housing Information \| Registration Form Sponsored by the Division of Continuing Education Iowa Summer Writing Festival C215 Seashore Hall The University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 Phone 319-335-4160 FAX 319-335-4743 iswfestival@uiowa.edu Last updated on January 10, 2008