on teaching, Readings and more....

TEACHING NEWS --

Mount Mary College now offers a master of arts in English with an emphasis in writing. I teach Novel Writing, Writing and Teaching the Memoir, Research and Workshop in Short Fiction, (and my favorite topic) Writing for Children and Young Adults. Click on MMC for more information.

Spring 2009

March 14, 2 - 4 pm: Evantson, Ill. Evanston Public Library.

Fall 2008 proved busy...

Past Events:

November 2007, NCTE and ALAN Workshops in New York City.

In November 2006, my good friends J. Irvin Kuns, author of While You Were Out and Sharon Darrow, author of Trash, nominated a best book for reluctant young adult readers by the ALA, were in Wisconsin for the annual fall SCBWI retreat. To learn more about this annual retreat, go to www.scbwi-wi.com.

I headed to Nashville where I moderated two panels at ALAN 2006. The first panel, "YA Anthologies: Diverse Views on a Single Theme," included Candlewick and Goth anthology editor Deborah Wayshak and anthologist Don Gallo.

I also moderated a breakout session on "The Essence of Beauty: Character Journeys from the Physical to the Spiritual." Panelists seen here include me, Ellen Wittlinger (Hard Love, Sandpiper), J. James Keels (whose short story appears in Such A Pretty Fac),Jamie Pittel (Such A Pretty Face), and Lauren Myracle (TTYL, Rhymes with Witch).

The Art of Teaching Writing

Anita Riggio, An Na, me, and Jacqueline Woodson at ALAN 2004 together for a panel on the Art of Teaching Writing for Children. We agreed that to get students writing, we need to make them feel safe even when they're writing about scary topics.

Some Suggestions:

Give students a private place in their journals for difficult topics.
Tell them that no one will read their work if it's in this section.
Let students write about what they want and need to write about.
Encourage students to write by making it a regular part of their day.
Have students read everyday.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS:

The Perfect Marriage of Detail and Story

Listen to the Voices: Filtering Story through Character

A Writer's Life

These writers' workshop analyze the many ways we use details of character and setting to develop a character of depth, to offer insight into our characters' needs, to establish theme, and to develop mood or tone. Contact Ann to find out about availability and prices.