Iowa Summer Writing Festival


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Workshop Descriptions & Instructors Marilyn Abildskov Mary Allen Kate Aspengren Thomas Fox Averill Nancy Barry Timothy Bascom Kyle Beachy Karen Bender Linda Bendorf Maudy Benz Venise Berry Bruce Bond David Bouchier Michael Dennis Browne Maggie Conroy Mary Cross Thomas K. Dean Amber Dermont Janet Desaulniers Kelly Dwyer Hope Edelman Josh Emmons Jill Esbaum Sarah Fay Hugh Ferrer Katie Ford Geoffrey Forsyth Cecile Goding Douglas Goetsch Sands Hall Christine Hemp Jim Heynen Rick Hillis Charles Holdefer Richard Jackson Rebecca Johns Cheryl Fusco Johnson Wayne Johnson Daniel Khalastchi Carolyn Lieberg BK Loren Peter Markus Fritz Mc Donald James McKean Gordon Mennenga Sharelle Byars Moranville Michael Morse Barbara Robinette Moss Marc Nieson Shannon Olson Diana Ossana Lon Otto Juliet Patterson Kiki Petrosino Mark Jude Poirier Leslie Carol Roberts Anjali Sachdeva Sarah Saffian Sam Samuels Sandra Scofield Mary Kay Shanley Robert Anthony Siegel Carol Spindel Karen Subach Mary Vermillion Kris Vervaecke Ashley Warlick Michelle Wildgen Bart Yates	Kate Aspengren What a Character! One-Week Workshop June 14–19 Playwrights Workshop One-Week Workshop June 21–26 Writing Humor One-Week Workshop July 5–10 Biography What a Character! One-Week Workshop June 14–19 Characters bring shape, direction, and life to our work. This workshop is for the writer who would like to develop the skills needed to create three-dimensional characters that are engaging, provocative, and authentic. We’ll use both in-class and overnight writing exercises to explore our own characters, and we’ll take a look at some memorable characters from fiction, film, and drama. This workshop invites writers of any genre or level of experience. You might want to use the time to focus in on a character you’ve created. Or you may use the exercises and discussion to invent new characters and generate some fresh material. Or both! Playwrights Workshop One-Week Workshop June 21–26 You’ve finished your play. You’ve read it out loud to the dog. Your mom thinks it’s brilliant. It looks great on paper. You’re done. Right? Slow down, Shakespeare. Now it’s time for revision. In this workshop, we’ll devote our time to reading and critiquing the work written by participants. By discussing the plays in a constructive and supportive workshop setting, we’ll offer useful, insightful feedback to one another. While this course is open to writers of all levels, participants should have some basic knowledge of playwriting. You do not need to have completed a play. You may bring a work-in-progress or even a monologue or a short scene. As time permits, we’ll also do some exercises designed to create new material or develop work that you already have. Come prepared to read and discuss the work of others and to hear your own work read. Writing Humor One-Week Workshop July 5–10 Some of us manage to find humor in nearly everything (often to either the delight or annoyance of our friends and families). This course will help you take that humor and use it in your own writing. We’ll concentrate primarily on producing new work through a variety of exercises and assignments. We’ll also take a close look at the work of established writers, and we’ll focus on bringing those techniques to our own writing. This is a course for writers of all genres and levels of experience. Plan to spend your week writing, reading, and laughing. Biography Kate Aspengren (M.F.A., The University of Iowa Playwrights Workshop) has taught playwriting at The University of Iowa, Coe College, Grinnell College, and Cornell College. Her plays, including Flyer, Dear Mrs. Martin, and House of Wonders, are published by Samuel French, Inc. and have been produced throughout the United States and Canada. Her work has also been translated for international production. Kate’s work has been produced by Actors Theatre of Louisville, The New American Comedy Festival (CA), Three Graces Theater Company (NY), and Six Figures Theater Company (NY). She holds an annual playwriting residency at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware, and is the Festival’s weekend coordinator. Kate is as surprised as you are that she just completed her first middle grade novel, Ashley Templeton is Ruining My Life.

	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 February 9, 2009