For the twenty fourth year in a row, Manhattanville College in Purchase, N.Y. will conduct its annual week-long gathering of writers and aspiring writers, all leading to a better understanding of exactly what it takes to put one’s thoughts down on paper so that they will be understood and remembered by those who eventually read those words.
"Writer’s Week," as the event is known, will again be under the direction of Linda A.
Simone, who is Associate Director of the school’s Master of Arts in Writing program. Linda works directly with the Director of Graduate and Professional Studies, Sister Ruth Dowd, a Sacred Heart nun. Simone says that this year’s Writer’s Week will have at least 75 students ranging in age from 25 to 80 from both sides of the Hudson.
The format for the week will begin on Monday, the 25th, with a half hour general orientation session and then will break, each day, into writing workshops from 9:00am until noon. Afternoon workshops will continue until 6:00pm. Additional evening workshops will take place from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Students will have the option of picking a morning workshop topic with a choice of one of six instructors in varying writing fields, each of whom are already well known in that particular field. The keynote speaker for this year’s event is Francine Prose, well-known author. Linda is scheduled for 7:30pm on Wednesday, the 27th, and the public is invited. Other members of this year’s faculty and their workshop topics will be Frederick Tuten on "Fiction," Elizabeth Ann Sachs on "Writing for the Young Reader," Maria Laurino on "The Memoir," Elizabeth Strout, "Beginning a Novel," Suji Kwock Kim, "Poetry," and Joanne Dobson "Detective Fiction."
Special Workshops in the afternoons or evenings will cover "Compelling Characters," "Performing Poetry," "How to get Published in Magazines," "Writing about Food," "The Submission Process," "Form Your own Group," and "Informal Conversation with Pat Gauch."
Manhattanville’s Dowd O’Gorman Writing Center is becoming a well-known center for the literary arts, and includes in its curriculum, Master Classes in writing for children and in poetry, as well as craft seminars. "Meet the Writers" will continue on Sundays and will be housed in the Castle. The College is also known for "Inkwell," a nationally recognized journal publishing the best from various writers and poets. To enroll in "Writers Week" call the Writing Office at (914) 323-5300 or visit www.mville.edu. Overnight accommodations are available. "Writer’s Week" fees are $1190 for two graduate credits, or non-credit at $695.
