Sleeping on the Wing workshop

Where: Charlotte, NC or Zoom, according to interest

When: This workshop is available to groups of 4 or more students in the summer. It includes twelve hours of instruction, usually taught as six 2-hour classes, but can be tailored to students’ schedules. 

Workshop Size: Twelve spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Description: Sleeping On the Wing offers students ages 13-18 the experience of writing in an intimate, supportive workshop that values the risks and adventure of the creative process. No previous creative writing experience is necessary—only a fascination with words and a desire to develop greater fluency and confidence in their writing. Each student will have the opportunity to workshop two pieces and to meet individually with instructor Brooke Shaffner. Students will learn about poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, and the writing process through readings and exercises based on Kenneth Koch’s anthology of modern poetry, Sleeping on the Wing, and excerpts of works by Sandra Cisneros, Jamaica Kincaid, Justin Torres, J.D. Salinger, and Lorrie Moore, among others. They will investigate the strategies these authors use to craft their prose and poetry, learning to read the work of their peers, and ultimately their own work, with a greater awareness of structure, voice, character, image, scene, setting, and language.

Instructor: Brooke Shaffner will teach this workshop.

Cost: $450