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Third
Friday Open Mike Hosted by James Joseph Friday, January 15 at 8:00 pm
This
Friday, January 15, is our first Open Mike Night of 2010. Come to read or just
to listen -- poets, fiction writers, essayists, and other writers are all welcome.
This month's host is James Joseph. Sign up to read beginning at 7:30 (five
minute limit per person.) Readings begin at 8:00. Admission $3.
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| | The
Big Read Westchester February - March 2010 |
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The
Hudson Valley Writers' Center is proud to be a partner of ArtsWestchester
and Westchester
Library System as well as dozens of cultural organizations, civic groups,
schools and colleges for 2010's BIG READ.
The
Big Read is an initiative of the National
Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute
of Museum and Library Services and Arts
Midwest. Its idea is simple: encourage as many people as possible to read—and
discuss—the same book during a concentrated period. The
Big Read Westchester invites you to discover an unforgettable work of fiction,
The
Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, and to share the experience with
friends and community members. To be a part of it, simply read The Things They
Carried during February and March 2010. Then, take advantage of the public
programs related to the book—a staged reading, panel presentations, civic discussions,
workshops—that will be available. One
of those public programs is a creative
writing workshop for veterans, co-sponsored by the Writers' Center and
taught by writer David Surface at Fordham
Westchester beginning on February 23. Another is a reading by young adult
author Patricia McCormick
from her latest book, Purple Heart, presented by the Writers' Center on
Sunday, March 14 at ArtsWestchester's Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White
Plains. For
a complete list of Big Read programs in Westchester County, click
here.
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| A
Reading by Joanne Dobson and S. J. Rozan Sunday, January 24 at 4:30 pm Our
first reading of the new year celebrates mystery writing and features two accomplished
masters of the genre. It is made possible by gifts to the Robert Manning Memorial
Fund. | 

| Joanne
Dobson is the author of the Professor Karen Pelletier mystery series from
Doubleday and Poisoned Pen Press, the latest of which, Death Without Tenure,
is just out. She won an Agatha nomination for Quieter Than Sleep, the first
book in the series. In 2001 the adult readers division of the New York Library
Association named her Noted Author of the Year, as the writer whose books they
most enjoyed recommending to their patrons. For many years Joanne was an English
Professor at Fordham University, teaching literature and creative writing. She
now writes full-time and teaches writing at The Hudson Valley Writers’ Center.
www.joannedobson.com
S.
J. Rozan was born and raised in the Bronx and is a life-long New Yorker. She’s
the author of nine books in the Lydia Chin/Bill Smith series, the most recent
of which is The Shanghai Moon, and of two standalones, Absent Friends
and In This Rain. She’s also the author of three dozen short stories. Her
books have won the Edgar, Nero, Shamus, Anthony, and Macavity Awards, as well
as the Japanese Maltese Falcon Award, and her stories have appeared multiple times
in Houghton Mifflin’s Annual Best American Mystery Stories as well as other
“best of the year” volumes. S. J. is currently at work on another series novel.
www.sjrozan.com
The authors will be introduced by mystery writer Stefanie Pintoff (In
The Shadow of Gotham; A Curtain Falls). www.stefaniepintoff.com |
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Winter
Writing Workshops | |
Our schedule
of winter writing workshops is up on our website and we are taking registrations
by phone (914-332-5953), e-mail, fax
(914-332-4825), and regular mail (300 Riverside Drive, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591). Workshops
scheduled to begin next week are: MEMOIR
WRITING with Susan
Hodara
(almost full) 8
Tuesdays, 10:15 am - 12:15 pm January 19 - March 16
(skips February 16) Fee: $305; returning
Hodara students deduct $15 Note:
This workshop will take place at 57
River Street, Sleepy Hollow. Are
you compelled to write about the transforming events in your life? Do you want
to record stories from your past? Are you haunted by vivid memories and drawn
to explore the circumstances that surround them? Whether you are in the process
of writing a memoir or just getting started, this workshop is a supportive environment
where you will read your work aloud each week and receive constructive feedback.
It also provides a structure to help you develop and maintain a regular writing
practice. Writers of all levels, working on short pieces or book-length works,
are welcome. CREATIVE
WRITING FOR AGES 11 - 14 with Charlotte
Walsh 8
Tuesdays, 5:00
- 6:30 pm January
19 - March 16
(skips
February 16)
Fee
$225;
Walsh returnees
deduct $10
Some
of us like nature stories, some like fantasy, some like adventure, some like personal
stories, and some of us like to write poetry. In this workshop we will tap into
our experiences and let our imaginations flow. We will listen to our dreams and
ideas as we explore the world around us and the world within us. We will embark
on an adventure in writing, as we mold our words into stories and poems. CREATIVE
WRITING FOR THIRD, FOURTH, AND FIFTH GRADERS with Kate
Gallagher and Charlotte
Walsh 8
Thursdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm January 21 - March 18 (skips February 18)
Fee $225; Gallagher/Walsh
returnees deduct $10 Each
day you take in the world around you—a fly perched on a leaf, the smell of spaghetti
sauce bubbling on the stove, the sound of traffic rushing by on the street outside
our window. How do use these things to create stories and poems? This class will
help stimulate your senses, imagination, and emotions, and allow you to try out
various writing techniques and share ideas in a comfortable atmosphere. (Note
that some sessions will be taught by Kate Gallagher and others will be taught
by Charlotte Walsh.) Our
LEARNING TO SEE: CREATIVE WRITING FOR TEENS AGE
14+ with Brenda
Connor-Bey beginning
January 23 is currently full,
but you can call or e-mail to be added to the waiting list and we will contact
you if a space opens up.
Other
workshops starting soon:HOW
TO WRITE PAGE-TURNING FICTION
with Joanne
Dobson 6
Thursdays, 7 - 9 pm January 28 - March 18 (skips
February 18 & March 11) Fee: $235; returning
Dobson students deduct $10 We've
all done it, stayed awake until three a.m. compulsively turning pages until we
finish the book or our eyes betray us and we fall asleep. How do writers grab
us like that and not let go? As writers ourselves we can learn from literary techniques
of popular genres how to keep the story moving in a compelling fashion. Whether
we write about the everyday dramas of ordinary life or the extreme situations
of the detective novel or the pulse-pounding thriller, our work will benefit from
consideration of how to develop compelling and sympathetic protagonists, disquieting
antagonists, a unique voice, well-considered plots, conflict and tension. Our
characters may or may not be seeking the Holy Grail, but everyday life with its
quiet agonies and quiet satisfactions is equally sacred to the writer of intelligent
fiction—and equally deserving of that special magic it takes to keep the reader
turning "just one more page." SEX!
HORROR! MYSTERY! (SERIOUSLY) A multi-genre workshop for adventurous writers with
with
David
Surface 7 Saturdays, 10:30 am - 12:30
pm January 30 - March 20 (skips
February 13) Fee: $270; returning
Surface students deduct $10 In
this craft-based, multi-genre workshop we will explore practical techniques for
incorporating "erotic", "horror" and "mystery" elements into your writing. We'll
investigate the phenomenon of "slipstream fiction" in which writers experiment
with the elements of erotica, horror and mystery to create an entirely new genre.
You'll discover (if you didn't already know) that sex doesn't have to be a dirty
word in your fiction, that not every horror story needs vampires or serial killers,
and that the most compelling mysteries aren't always solved by detectives (and
sometimes don't even have to be solved at all). HOW
TO PLAN, WRITE, AND DEVELOP A BOOK with Mary
Carroll Moore 6
Mondays, 1:30 - 4:30 pm February 1 - March 15 (skips February 15)
Fee:
$355;
returning Moore
students deduct $15 Note:
This workshop will take place at 57
River Street, Sleepy Hollow.
Whether you're a nonfiction
author, memoirist, or novelist, and whether you have a book almost finished or
merely a concept for one, this 6 week class will help you get to know your book—what
it is about, how to structure it, how to finish it! You'll learn a step-by-step
plan (including timetables, chapter grids, story-boarding, and other techniques)
and ways to flow chapters, find holes in your material that need filling, organize
research and concepts, and construct plots. You'll also learn how to package your
book for agents and publishers and gain essential tips on editing and evaluating
your book at all stages. ESSAYING
NONFICTION with Peter
Bricklebank 6
Thursdays, 12:30 - 2:30 pm February 4 - March 18 (skips February 18)
Fee:
$235 Note:
This workshop will take place at 57
River Street, Sleepy Hollow.
None of us go through a
day without worry or exultation, finding ourselves amused, bemused, abused or
obtuse. We reflect, and this consideration of ourselves and our world is at the
heart of nonfiction writing. Essai (from the French) means "an attempt, to try"--not
necessarily to reach conclusions or find answers to issues of experience, but
simply to ponder them. Whether you're writing memoir (making sense of the past),
travel or nature writing (seeking to understand the kaleidoscopic world around
us), or you're the quintessential contrarian essayist (mining the marvelously
quirky self for what it shows of the riches of human nature), this is an ongoing
workshop, both engaged and playful, for experimenting with new material, revamping
that manuscript that has lain too long, and coming to see how nonfiction, like
fiction, reveals truths that reality obscures. WRITING
OUR LIVES: A CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP FOR VETERANS with David
Surface
6
Tuesdays, 6:00 - 8:00 pm February 23; March 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
Note:
This workshop is a Big
Read program co-sponsored
by The Hudson Valley Writers' Center, ArtsWestchester,
and Fordham
Westchester and is free to armed forces
veterans. Note:
This workshop will take place at Fordham
Westchester, 400 Westchester Avenue, West Harrison, NY.
We all have stories inside
us. But when we try to put them on paper, something stops us. Fortunately, there
are tools we can use to break through those barriers. In this workshop, you’ll
learn useful techniques for turning your memories into stories that will come
to life on paper (or your computer screen). We’ll share our writing in an honest
and supportive group setting and help you write the stories that only you can
write. WRITING
CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND STORIES with Elizabeth
Sachs 4
Wednesdays, 1:30 - 3:30 pm March 3 - March 24
Fee: $155;
returning
Sachs students deduct $10 Note:
This workshop will take place at 57
River Street, Sleepy Hollow.
Develop a strong narrative
voice and distinctive style when writing for readers from middle grade to young
adult. In this intensive course, unique writing exercises will help writers, both
the inexperienced and the skilled, explore their writing strengths. Each session
will focus on a different aspect of writing. Information about being published
will also be addressed. HOW
TO WRITE BOOKS THAT A CHILD OR TEENAGER WANTS TO READ with Marthe
Jocelyn 2
Fridays, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm March
19 & 26 Fee:
$135; returning
Jocelyn students deduct $10 Note:
This workshop will take place at 57
River Street, Sleepy Hollow.
It's harder than you think!
This two-part workshop will help you get started or look with fresh eyes at work
already in progress. We'll address points unique to writing for young readers,
from board books for toddlers to teen literature, as well as essential aspects
of any manuscript: voice, character, plot and point-of-view. Stories submitted
in advance* will be critiqued in class and students will go away inspired with
a plan for what to do next! *students may submit up to 3 pages of a work
in progress no later than one week prior to the first class. NOTE:
Marthe Jocelyn will also review work (separate from that discussed in class) of
up to 20 pages in advance of the class and meet with you for a 20-minute one-on-one
session by appointment following class. Fee for the manuscript review and one-on-one
session is $75. Additionally,
we are offering the following workshops onsite at Pelham
Art Center: MEMOIR
WRITING with Susan
Hodara
8 Thursdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY Feb 25;
March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 8, 15, 22
Fee: $305; returning
Hodara students deduct $15 FICTION
WRITING with David
Surface
5 Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm at Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY April
6, 13, 20, 27, May 4
Fee: $195; returning
Surface students deduct $10 CREATIVE
WRITING FOR AGES 11 - 14 with Charlotte
Walsh 8
Mondays, 5:00
- 6:30 pm at
Pelham
Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue, Pelham, NY Feb
22 – April 19 (skips
March 29)
Fee
$225; Walsh
returnees deduct $10 Special
School Break Workshop: Tuesday - Friday, 3 - 5 pm Feb
16, 17, 18, 19 Fee
$120; Walsh
returnees deduct $10 Additional
workshops may be added to the schedule, so check our website periodically for
up-to-date information. Register
for a workshop at the Writers' Center or Pelham Art Center by going to www.writerscenter.org
and clicking on Classes & Workshops. You can also register for a workshop
by calling us at 914-332-5953. |
Upcoming
Readings and Events Third
Friday Open Mike Night Friday,
January 15, 8 pm (sign up to read beginning at 7:30) 5 minute limit; $3 admission Reading
by mystery writers Joanne
Dobson and S.
J. Rozan Sunday, January 24, 4:30 pm ($5; members $3) Third
Friday Open Mike Night Friday,
February 19, 8 pm (sign up to read beginning at 7:30) 5 minute limit; $3 admission Reading
by Marilyn
Johnson and R.
D. Rosen Sunday, February 28, 4:30 pm ($5; members $3) Open
Mike Night (rescheduled from
March 19) Friday, March 12,
8 pm (sign up to read beginning at 7:30) 5 minute limit; $3 admission Big
Read event featuring young adult author Patricia
McCormick Sunday, March 14, 2:00 at The
Arts Exchange (free admission) Reading
by poets Lynn
Wagner and Sean
Nevin Friday, March 19, 7:30 pm ($5; members $3) Reading
by poets Sean Nevin, Lynn
Wagner,
Barbara Fischer, and Suzanne Cleary Sunday,
March 21, 6 - 8 pm at the Cornelia
Street Cafe ($7) Reading
by poets Hilary Sideris, Ellen
Goldsmith, and Cindy
Beer-Fouhy Friday, April 9, 7:30 pm ($5; members $3) Third
Friday Open Mike Night Friday,
April 16, 8 pm (sign up to read beginning at 7:30) 5 minute limit; $3 admission Reading
by poets Ros
Barber and Mervyn
Taylor Sunday, April 25, 4:30 pm ($5; members $3) Reading
by poets Meg
Kearney and
Matthea
Harvey Friday,
May 14, 7:30 pm ($5; members $3)
All
readings take place at the Writers' Center unless otherwise stated. Please
forward this e-mail to a friend!
The Hudson Valley Writers' Center is located in the Philipse Manor Railroad Station
in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Follow the Metro North signs to the station from Route
9, near Historic Hudson Valley's Philipsburg Manor. For more information, call
us at (914) 332-5953 or visit our website, www.writerscenter.org. Our programs
and events are made possible, in part, by grants from the Bydale Foundation, the
David G. Taft Foundation, the Morgan Stanley Foundation, the Orchard Foundation,
the Thendara Foundation, and the William E. Robinson Foundation; with public funds
from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency, and the National
Endowment for the Arts; and by the Basic Program Support Grant of the Westchester
Arts Council with funds from Westchester County Government. The
Hudson Valley Writers' Center, Inc. (HVWC) is a not-for-profit organization founded
in 1988 with a mission to advance the art and craft of writing by encouraging
writers and readers at all levels to participate in and enjoy the literary arts.
HVWC is a not-for-profit, IRC section 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions in
excess of value received are deductible for Federal Income Tax purposes.
Follow us on Twitter @HVWC
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