Starting Saturday October 7th, I’ll be teaching another session of my special six-week class Online Writing About Childhood through The Writers Studio.
Your personal memories of growing up can be a treasure trove of ideas for stories and poems and memoir pieces. This class will show you techniques to manage your personal material and bring it to life.
In this class, we examine techniques and voices crafted by celebrated writers of poetry and prose such as Sandra Cisneros, Seamus Heaney, and Ray Bradbury. How did they use imagination and memory to regain a foothold in childhood’s not-so-distant realm, conjuring its wonder, joy, and pain?
Whether working in poetry, prose, or creative nonfiction, can we apply similar voices and techniques to our own unique material? Let’s bring the world and experience of childhood to vibrant life again through our creative work.
For more information, CLICK HERE. Hope to see you in class!
We have some momentous news at The Writers Studio Tucson. Longtime director of the Tucson branch Reneé Bibby is retiring from that leadership position and stepping away from all branch duties, including her role as teacher of Master Class, so that she can pursue other opportunities in the writing realm and elsewhere.
EVERYBODY HAS A STORY: Outgoing director, Reneé Bibby on right, with new director, Phil Ivory, on left at 2023 Tucson Festival of Books.
Reneé has been with the Writers Studio Tucson for 11 years. She worked as a teacher for almost 10 years, instructing nearly 350 students in Tucson and beyond. Reneé has set a profound forward momentum for our branch, keeping us going through the pandemic and other challenges, sometimes just on the force of her positive personality alone, but always fueled by her wisdom, experience, and sense of humor.
Separate from the Tucson branch, Reneé will continue to do online teaching work for The Writers Studio, including special six-week classes conducted on Saturdays that any student, no matter where they live, may take. And she will continue to write and publish and further develop her prodigious writing talents. Peruse her web site to learn about her published work and other activities.
The Writers Studio, including its Tucson branch will always be grateful to Reneé for her outstanding leadership, planning, teamwork, and the great inspiration she has always provided as the best possible teacher.
Okay, that’s the sad part. But we have encouraging news, too. Phil Ivory, longtime teacher and assistant director for the branch, is assuming the role of director.
Phil studied English literature at Columbia University and at Cambridge University in the UK and worked for many years as communications professional in the nonprofit world, most notably for the national headquarters of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Phil started as a teacher with the Tucson branch in 2016 on the Intermediate level, was appointed assistant director for the branch two years later and has developed and taught special six-week classes for The Writers Studio including Online Writing About Childhood. His short fiction has appeared in Menacing Hedge, Two Cities Review, Ghost Parachute,The Airgonaut and the anthology, The Writers Studio at 30, and he’s currently in the latter stages of a novel that explores the dreams, darkness, and danger of childhood.
Phil is very grateful for Reneé’s mentorship and advice during this transition and is also very thankful for the amazing work being done by Tucson’s workshop teacher, Betsy Mahaffey. Betsy’s next beginner class starts on Sept. 27th and is already full, although a waitlist is available, and more classes for workshop and other levels will be available in January.
We will keep you informed on all changes in our branch as we strategize for a successful 2024. We hope to schedule a number of fun public events for our students to attend in the year ahead. Amidst all these changes, the Tucson branch of The Writers Studio will continue to strive to provide the best instruction and inspiration for our talented and wonderful students.
Write Yourself Sane 