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 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 Swander Mary Vermillion Kris Vervaecke Ashley Warlick Michelle Wildgen Bart Yates	Shannon Olson The Art of the Anecdote Weekend Workshop June 20–21 Biography The Art of the Anecdote Weekend Workshop June 20–21 We’ve all read memorable anecdotes¾writing we found amusing, entertaining, or profoundly moving. The anecdote has been the focus and the building block of both fiction and nonfiction writers as different in style and voice as Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker, Jim Heynen, Erma Bombeck, Jo Ann Beard, and Garrison Keillor. All of these writers have been able to take (or create) a small, often humorous personal story or event and develop it into a more extensive piece of prose. Through readings, in-class exercises, short assignments, discussion, and critique, we will practice this art of the small story. Biography Shannon Olson is the author of the novels Welcome to My Planet: Where English Is Sometimes Spoken (Viking 2000; Penguin 2001) and Children of God Go Bowling (Viking 2004). She has an M.F.A. from the University of Minnesota, where she has taught fiction and nonfiction writing, and recently co-taught a humor writing course with Garrison Keillor. She has written articles and reviews for The Guardian (London), InStyle, The Minneapolis StarTribune, and Minnesota Monthly. She is currently Assistant Professor of English at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.

	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 19, 2009