2016 Writing Workshops
From Textile to Text: Workshops in Writing Craft
CONCEPT
Ceramic art and creative writing bear many
similarities. Indeed, it is a short etymological trip from
“textile” to “text,” demonstrating the close relationship
these artistic genres share. Both ceramics and writing
must be envisioned, shaped, practiced, and assessed
as pieces of art. In short, both texts and textiles are
made entities, carefully created via a thorough
process by their smiths. The Silver City CLAY Festival
has established a tradition of offering workshops for
those who wish to learn more about working clay into
artisanal pieces. For the 2016 festival, this tradition
will be extended to include creative writing
workshops with Western New Mexico University
(WMU). Aspiring and experienced creative writers
are invited to participate in either a prose or poetry
workshop, in which the craft of writing and participant
writing submissions will be discussed. This will be a
great opportunity to explore the creative practice of
writing, particularly as it relates to the making of
ceramic art and the potential conversations between
visual art and the written word.
DETAILS:
All workshops are modeled on academic creative
writing courses, and may include short in-class writing
assignments, as well as generative work outside of
class that will entail reading the work of published
writers, critiquing the work of other workshop
participants, and submitting a piece to be
workshopped by the class. Each participant will
receive written comments from the instructor and
should have their own computer.
COST:
WORKSHOP A – $75/person
WORKSHOP B – $75/person
WORKSHOP A: Fiction or Nonfiction
Slabs to Sentences: Prose Workshop
Work on good prose has three steps: a musical stage
when it is composed, an architectonic one when it is
built, and a textile one when it is woven.
—Walter Benjamin
This workshop will be co-taught by Associate
Professor of English John M. Gist and Assistant
Professor of English Austin Tremblay of Western New
Mexico University. Mr. Gist and Dr. Tremblay have
much experience teaching prose writing at the
collegiate level, as well as for nonprofit organizations
and other esteemed institutions. They have each
published copiously within their respective fields. The
workshop will be limited to the first 30 participants
who register
DATES: July 25-28th, 2016
TIMES: 10am-12:00pm
LOCATION: WNMU, Student Memorial Building
WORKSHOP B: Poetry
Firing the Image: Poetry Workshop
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter…
—Keats, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”
This workshop will be taught by Vice President and
Provost William Crocker of Western New Mexico
University. Dr. Crocker’s more than 40 years in higher
education include his experiences as an English faculty
member where he is a renowned poet with numerous
publications. The workshop will be limited to the first
15 participants who register.
DATES: July 25-28th, 2016
TIMES: 10am-12:00pm
LOCATION: WNMU, Student Memorial Building