INDEPENDENT WRITER: Focus on your writing project
July 22 - August 18
(two, three, or four weeks; suit your schedule)
Here's the opportunity to finish that book that's been languishing, break through writer's block, or just have the uninterrupted time to write. Come for 2,3, or 4 weeks, work one-on-one with one of our award-winning authors. If you're an experienced writer and want to work independently, this program provides an environment free from life's day-to-day distractions, and a means to make substantial progress on your work.
Cross-disciplinary sharing and exchange of ideas flourish in Art Workshop's supportive environment. The setting amidst the rich cultural heritage of Assisi and the neighboring hill towns inspires creativity and focus. You may mark a preference for an author to review your work.
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THE ART AND CRAFT OF MEMOIR
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
The memoir is one of the most natural, personal and challenging forms of writing. In this workshop we will explore the art of finding one’s voice and the craft of structure. Focusing on each student’s own project – whether or not you have already begun – we will discuss how to choose what to include, what kind of license you can allow yourself in recreating from memory, how to find the hidden narrative, the value of research, how to apply later understanding to earlier events, uncovering themes, and the nature of discovering truth as you write.
The course will be tailored to individual student’s needs. A suggested reading list will be given and students may submit a sample of their writing before the session. Use “Assisi” for the subject when emailing her.
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HOW TO BE AN ARTS WRITER: The Ins and Outs of Arts Journalism
July 22 to August 4
(Arrive Wed., July 22, depart Tues., Aug. 4; two weeks)
Are you passionate about movies, architecture, theater, music, or fine arts? Do your friends look to you for the latest news on popular culture and your opinions on movies, television, the best new bands? Perhaps you are a budding arts journalist.
This course, taught by a long-time “Wall Street Journal” arts reporter, will focus your critical skills to write and report about the arts in a lively and engaging way. Students will learn how to sharpen their writing and gain guidance in pursuing a concentration in architecture, film, music, television, theater, or visual arts. We will discuss arts journalism, critical outlets available, and how to make contacts, hone critical perceptions, and write accessible and learned reporting and commentary. There will be in-class writing exercises spotlighting various disciplines and we'll take advantage of the artistic riches of Assisi and surrounding Umbria, attending museums, galleries, and architectural sites, to gain firsthand insights.
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VISITING ARTIST: FILMMAKER CHARLES HOBSON
Art Workshop International is delighted to welcome the founder and artistic head of Vanguard Documentaries, Charles Hobson, who has worked extensively with PBS and BBC. He will spend time this summer with our instructors and participants prior to the premiere of his production, "Harlem in Montemarte: Paris Jazz," for PBS's "Great Performances" on August 26.
With his distinguished career spanning four decades, Hobson has been ranked one of the top 50 producers in film and television. His awards include an Emmy, the Japan Prize 'Special Citation,' and CINE Golden Eagle. He plans to teach a filmmaking course for Art Workshop International in 2010, with a documentary as the end result.
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CAFFE POESIA
July 22 to August 4
(Arrive Wed., July 22, depart Tues., Aug. 4; two weeks)
Long the social, political, and intellectual hub of a city, the cafe has served as a rendezvous point for artists and poets where great poetry has been inspired, discussed, debated, and ultimately refined to the beauty we find on the printed page.
This workshop seeks to recreate that energetic creative locus from which great poetry springs. Writers will focus on their developing projects and receive feedback from the workshop leader and their classmates with an eye towards honing their craft and working toward the completion of publishable work. Writers will present work for in-depth critique, receive guidance on publishing, and seek inspiration through examination of Italian poets like Amelia Rosselli, Eugenio Montale, and Andrea Zanzotto.
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A WORK OF TRUTH: Writing Good Fiction
July 22 to August 4
(Arrive Wed., July 22, depart Tues., Aug. 4; two weeks)
Grace Paley used to say that a work of art is really a work of truth, provided you can get rid of the following lies: “the lie of injustice to characters, the lie of writing to an editor’s taste; the lie of writing to your best friend’s taste; the lie of the approximate word; the lie of unnecessary adjectives, and the lie of the brilliant sentence you love the most.”
This class is geared toward beginning and experienced writers who are interested in creating their own true works of art, by using language in precise and refreshing ways. We will use in-class exercises and workshops on new and existing manuscripts to work on avoiding cliché and
writing what we mean. Our goal will be to come away from the workshop with concrete results and new tools for keeping going.
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MANY WAYS TO TELL A STORY
July 22 to August 4
(Arrive Wed., July 22, depart Tues., Aug. 4; two weeks)
The most fruitful way to begin any piece of writing – fiction, poetry, essay, memoir –
is to play with its shape and style as if it were clay. Before it is fired into finality, clay is pliable, changeable, willing to assume unexpected forms, sizes, even functions. We will experiment with alternatives to the “default setting,” the first, but not necessarily the best, way to tell a story.
By responding to prompts that encourage new perspectives on old work or propel you into a genre or a voice you have never tried before, you will discover a flexibility and versatility you didn’t know you possessed. We will read some exemplary models and discuss the choices that shaped them, and help you evaluate, appreciate and learn from the most effective parts of your own writing. Under the guidance of renowned writer Rosellen Brown, you will soar to new creative heights.
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SHAKESPEARE & MILTON: Italy of the English Poets
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
The real and ideal of Italy fired the imaginations of both Shakespeare and Milton. Shakespeare set some of his plays including ROMEO and JULIET, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA and TITUS AND ANDRONICUS in an Elizabethan vision of Italy that represented an exotic (and erotic) culture defined by its alien Catholicism. Using these and other "Italian" plays such as JULIUS CASEAR and ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA, we'll also explore the political implications of his Italian settings. Italy inspired Milton as well, where after an extended stay in 1638, (which turned out to be one of the most important times of his life), he exchanged letters and poems with Italian friends. We'll read Milton's greatest short poems and highlights from PARADISE LOST to discover how Italian influences, including Dante and Virgil, shaped his career.
There will be a supplemental trip to Florence where Milton spent four months. Here "Signor Milton" met Galileo among others and read his poems to the intellectual elite. We'll retrace his steps through the city he singled out for the "pleasant Situation of the Place, the Nobleness of the Structures [and] the exact Humanity and Civility of the Inhabitants." Students will be encouraged to write brief critical essays and response papers to enhance group discussion and for detailed evaluations by the professor.
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WRITING MYSTERY AND CRIME FICTION
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
All novelists work with the same building blocks: character, setting, dialogue, theme, pace. Crime and mystery novels, additionally, must satisfy criteria unique to the form. They need a set of urgent questions (who did what? why? what's the threat? who's in danger?) and must also deal with justice, applied or denied. This course invites crime and mystery writers on all levels to a supportive, non-competitive workshop led by critically-acclaimed S.J. Rozan who has won the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Nero, and Macavity awards for Best Novel.
Rozan says, “We'll focus on excerpts from participants' works-in-progress, whether novels or short stories. In-class writing exercises will spotlight various aspects of craft. The workshop format will be supplemented by discussions of structure, theme, point of view, and other elements of the well-built narrative.”
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WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
This workshop, taught by award-winning young adult author Barbara Shoup, is open to writers of all levels. While it will focus on writing for young adults, it will also suit the needs of those writing for middle-grade children and those writing about teenagers and people of college age or in their twenties for the adult market. Participants will draw upon their memories of childhood and adolescence to shape stories that reflect the real lives of young people.
We will consider various aspects of craft as we critique works-in-progress and will generate new ideas for fiction through writing exercises and lively discussion about notable books in the field. Individual conferences will help students assess their work and set goals as they go forward in their writing lives.
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WRESTLING IDEAS INTO STORIES: Fiction Workshop
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
In this fiction workshop, we’ll work on existing manuscripts and/or start new projects. One goal will be to explore how novels and short stories begin — where do ideas come from? But more importantly, how do we transform our ideas into stories? We’ll look at the ways in which we use imagery and dialogue to make stories come alive — and, how we keep on writing when the Muse throws rocks in our path.
We will isolate problems of the writing craft such as point of view, voice, and narrator. This course is for people who have written and published novels or for those contemplating their first. The goal will be to leave Assisi with concrete results, either revisions of an existing manuscript or the beginning of a new one. Your guide, author Dinitia Smith, specialized in literature for the “New York Times.”
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VISION & REVISION: Playwriting and Solo Performance
August 5 to August 18
(Arrive Wed., Aug. 5, depart Tues., Aug. 18; two weeks)
A GOOD DRAMATURG IS TO A PLAYWRIGHT WHAT A GOOD EDITOR IS TO A NOVELIST! Join us for an intensive, interactive development workshop that readies your play beyond the first draft. The class will focus on plays that are in process. How do you know if what you've written is transmitting what you intended? How do you move from the internal, solitary world of writing to the collaborative process of production? Participants will have the opportunity to hear a scene or monologue in each daily session and will receive individual feedback from the instructor. In-depth, hands-on, and practical, the emphasis will be on revision and "mapping the script," while maintaining the essential vision. The goal of the workshop is to spark the playwrights to re-engage with their work, while incorporating the benefits of an experienced dramaturgical eye. The instructor encourages participants to send their scripts in advance for a more individually targeted class. Artists developing solo shows are very welcome in the workshop. The workshop takes participants through the creative process of developing a solo performance piece. Emphasis is on plot, organic structure, character, with focus on building a relationship with the audience. This workshop is tailored for writers who want to act, actors who want to write, performers wanting to create new work.
DEBORAH SLATER, Artistic Director, Deborah Slater Dance Theater: "Working with Jayne Wenger in the hill town of Assisi was inspiring. She is organized, articulate, and thoughtful. We got an enormous amount done and had fun! Art Workshop International was an incredible experience which I will never forget."
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