Great Smokies Writing Program announces summer workshops

Press release:

Local writers will have the opportunity to hone their skills with UNC Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program (GSWP) workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. These five-week classes are offered in the afternoon and evening in different Asheville locations. Class size is limited, so early registration is suggested.

One Story: A Fiction Workshop with Abigail DeWitt – This workshop for both beginners and experienced writers will consider how to free-write an entire draft of a short story. In-class exercises are designed to help writers uncover their best material and discuss how to shape that material into compelling narratives. DeWitt has just finished a collection of her own stories, The Sex Appeal of the French, and is the author of two novels. She has taught creative writing at Appalachian State University, Harvard University Summer School and the Table Rock Writers Workshop (formerly the Duke Writers Workshop). Classes meet Monday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m., June 12, 19, and July 3, 10 and 17 at RiverLink, 170 Lyman Street, Asheville.

The Illuminated Moment: A Flash Fiction Workshop with Beth Keefauver – This course is for beginning and experienced poets and writers alike who are interested in exploring flash fiction either as a conduit for longer work or for its own sake. Through prompts and exercises, students will explore the tension and resonance between narrative and lyrical elements. At the end of the course, students will compile a flash fiction or prose poetry portfolio that they may submit for publication or use as a resource for longer projects. Keefauver’s works have appeared in many journals and anthologies and she is former fiction editor of the literary journal, Grist. She teaches composition, professional and creative writing at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Classes meet Thursday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m., June 8, 15, 22, 29 and July 6 at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 North Market Street, Asheville.

Get Real: A Creative Nonfiction Workshop with Marjorie Klein – Memoir, personal essay, and literary journalism are subjective views of the world, compiled from our own intimate experiences and from the lives of others. While facts are the basis of creative nonfiction, in-class exercises will kindle memory, inspire language, and sharpen students’ vision of the world, seeking a deeper understanding of real events. Klein’s first novel, Test Pattern, was chosen as a Discover Great New Writers selection by Barnes & Noble, and she has recently completed a new novel, Shifting Gears. Her creative nonfiction appeared for many years in Tropic, the Sunday magazine of the Miami Herald. She has taught at Warren Wilson College, the University of Miami and Florida International University. Classes meet Wednesday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m., June 7, 14, 21, 28 and July 5 at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 North Market Street, Asheville.

Let It Flow: Genius Creativity Strategies for Writers, a Workshop with Linda Lowery – This workshop is based on the instructor’s own experience of learning how to disregard writer’s block and keep the spark ignited. Students will read about techniques used by Albert Einstein, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King and others to learn what works to keep the authenticity of their projects fueled and flowing. Lowery is a New York Times bestselling author of 65 fiction and non-fiction books for young readers published by Random House, Houghton Mifflin, Peachtree, Lerner, and Scholastic. Her books have been honored on Best Books of the Year lists from the American Library Association, Bank Street College, Publishers Weekly, The New York Times, Parents magazine, and the International Society of School Librarians. Classes meet Wednesday afternoons, 4-6:30 p.m., June 7, 14, 21, 28 and July 5 at Hanger Hall School for Girls, 64 W.T. Weaver Boulevard, Asheville.

Summer Writing Workout: A Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Workshop with Heather Newton – For both beginning and experienced writers, this workshop will focus on practical ways to make writing an integral part of life, with lots of in-class writing and possible field trips to community literary events. Newton’s novel, Under the Mercy Trees won the 2011 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, was chosen by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Reads Selection, and was an “Okra Pick” by the Southern Independent Bookstore Alliance. She is a founding member of the Flatiron Writers, a collective dedicated to serving as a resource for the Western North Carolina writing community. Classes meet Monday evenings, 6-8:30 p.m., June 19, 26, and July 3, 10 and 17 at the West Asheville Flatiron Writers Room, 5 Covington Street, Asheville.

Poetry by Definition: A Poetry Workshop with Eric Nelson – In this workshop, beginning and experienced poets will seek to clarify their own personal definition of poetry, as a guide for writing with a stronger sense of purpose and confidence. Within this context, the focus of the course is on the students’ poems, with lots of opportunities for writing in response to prompts and exercises. Nelson’s most recent poetry collection, Some Wonder, won the 2014 Gival Press Poetry Award. He has published five other books, including Terrestrials, chosen by Maxine Kumin for the X.J. Kennedy Award, and The Interpretation of Waking Life, winner of the University of Arkansas Press Poetry Award. He taught creative writing at Georgia Southern University for 26 years before retiring in 2015. Classes meet Tuesday afternoons, 4-6:30 p.m., June 6, 13, 20, 27 and July 11 at Hanger Hall School for Girls, 64 W.T. Weaver Boulevard, Asheville.

The GSWP is committed to providing the community with affordable university-level classes taught by professional writers. For in-state residents, the cost is $152.50. The costs are higher for out-of-state residents. A $20 non-refundable application fee for new students also is required. For more information or to register, visit unca.edu/gswp or call 828.250.2353.