An IN-PERSON 6 Week Cross-Genre Writing Workshop
Tuesdays, June 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th, July 11th and 18th
Level: All Levels
The world arrives for us through our senses, and so we rely on them to navigate our daily lives, identify hazards and rewards, and form the memories through which our identities take shape. But translating our sensory experience into language can be daunting, and in some cases, feel nearly impossible—how to capture something as elusive as a nearly-forgotten scent, or as complex yet gut-wrenching as Guernica, or as distinctive as a beloved’s voice? Writers who channel the senses effectively are able to inhabit their characters and scenes more richly, and in turn able to bring readers more fully into their stories and poems. In this course, we’ll take on the challenges of each of the five senses, exploring the work of authors who are virtuosos of imagery, sound, touch, scent, and taste. But we’ll also look, listen, smell, touch, and taste--this will be an experiential class. Of course we'll also be reading plenty, with examples of writing from Annie Proulx, Lia Purpura, Ralph Ellison, Pitchaya Sudbanthad, Jehanne Dubrow, Don DeLillo, and Valeria Luiselli, among others.
We’ll do exercises that give you the opportunity to dive into the richness and power of each sense, but also delve into the realm of synesthesia, where the senses are no longer firmly delineated, as well as writers who portray and explore disability on the page. We'll examine ways that the senses can help you approach character, point of view, voice, theme, plot, and structure anew. We'll dip into anthropology and history, considering the cultural dimensions of our sensory experience, and even explore how plants and animals might experience the world. Writers of fiction, nonfiction, children’s books and poetry are all welcome.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur in-person, at USM in Portland, Wishcamper Center Room 211.
Tim Horvath (www.timhorvath.com) is the author of Understories (Bellevue Literary Press), which won the New Hampshire Literary Award, and Circulation (sunnyoutside), a novella. His stories have appeared or are forthcoming in Conjunctions, AGNI, Harvard Review, Passages North, and Best Small Fictions 2021, and his reviews have appeared in Georgia Review, Brooklyn Rail, and American Book Review. His most recent project is Un-bow, a collaboration with composer, cellist, and instrument inventor Rafaele Andrade. He is currently at work on a novel called The Spinal Descent, which explores the world of contemporary classical composers and musicians, as well as a second short story collection. He teaches English at Phillips Exeter Academy and Creative Writing in the Stony Brook MFA in Creative Writing. He's the recipient of a Yaddo Residency, and was also a co-founder of One Book, One Manchester, a city-wide reading program.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Meghan Sterling at programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
$245 Members/$450 Nonmembers
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Email Meghan at programs@mainewriters.org to see if the scholarship is still available. Application Due on May 19th at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION