2010 Fall Calendar

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

We are located upstairs at  Paperbacks Plus  at 6115 La Vista Drive, Dallas, TX 75214,
one block NE of the Skillman-Live Oak intersection in Lakewood / Old East Dallas
STONE SOUP Peer Workshops
Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus
Prose & Mixed Genre 1st and 3rd Tuesdays 7-9 PM;
Poetry only, 2nd and 4th Tuesdays 7-9 PM; 4th Tuesdays feature readings and exercises from
Jack Myers' Portable Poetry Workshop; 2nd Tuesdays are dedicated to critique
Prose & Poetry 2nd & 4th Saturdays 10 AM – Noon
First visit is FREE and $3 thereafter
Monthly Poetry Discussion Group
Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus
2nd Thursday of Every Month, 7-9 PM
FREE
Prepare for Stone Soup or the Poetry Discussion Group by calling (214) 828-1715

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1st

The EARY BIRD DEADLINE for all Fall 2010 classes and events if September 1st. EARLY BIRD rates are available to Writer's Garret Members ONLY.
EARLY BIRD EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE; visit our website at www.writersgarret.org for the latest information.

AUGUST
YOU'RE INVITED to our Fall OPEN HOUSE & POTLUCK LUNCHEON!
Sunday, August 29, 1 PM – 3 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
Have you always wanted to be around other intelligent people who love to read and write? Been wondering what The Writer's Garret has to offer? Had
an interest in being part of a literary community but really didn't know who, why, when, or where? Then join OUR community for a special "Open
House" preview party, and learn how you can be part of an experience that is truly "beyond words."
Attendees will be eligible for discounts on classes and events. FREE, but we love donations

SEPTEMBER
The Elements of Screenwriting with Russell DeGrazier (6 Weeks)
Mondays, September 13 – October 18, 6:30 PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr.,
Dallas, TX 75214
$175 Members / $200 Others; Members save $20 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
This six-week class / workshop will get you committed to that idea you have and implementing it into a screenplay. The workshop
environment (for both beginners and professionals) will focus on character development and classical three act structure.
RUSSELL DeGRAZIER holds an MA in film from USC's Graduate School of Film and has written screenplays on commission for
HBO, 20th Century Fox, and Fox Searchlight Pictures (for director Carl Franklin). He also wrote and directed Attraction (Lions
Gate/Trimark Studios) starring Gretchen Mol and Samantha Mathis. After graduating from USC, he was a semi-finalist for the
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short. Russell recently wrapped shooting seasons 4 and 5 of NBC's Friday Night Lights,
portraying "Coach Stan Traub." He is represented for literary/directing by United Talent Agency in Los Angeles.

"Vort Ting"* Poetry & Prose Discussion Group (14 weeks: three separate sections)
Mondays, September 6 – December 6, 7 PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
$15 per visit with advance RSVP; Members’ discounts: $50 sections 1 and 3; $70 section 2; $155 full series
Section 1: "The Popul Vuh," led by PAUL SAMPSON; Section 2: "Survey of 20th Century American Poetry," led by GREG THOMPSON; Section 3:
"Mark Twain’s Short Works," led by DAVID BARDOFF.
*"Vort Ting" is Danish for "Our Thing"
 SEPTEMBER (cont.)
Section 1: "The Popul Vuh" (September: 6, 20; October: 4, 18)
The group will be reading and discussing Dennis Tedlock's translation, Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of the Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and the Glories of Gods
and Kings, 1996 edition. Paul notes, "It's a Touchstone Book by Simon and Schuster, nice trade paperback. Incredibly copious notes. Nice illustrations... apparently
there is some new scholarship on the language and other points not available in 1985 (edition). There are lots of possible collateral readings. Linda Schele is author of
more than one." It would be great if people would bring their own favorites to share, so stock up on your Mayan stuff now!

Section 2: " Foundations of Early 21st Century American Poetry: the Poetics of Modernism and Post Modernism" (September: 13, 27; October: 11, 25;
November: 8, 22)
The group will examine many of the most important American poets of the 20th century. Each generation of poets wrote their poems in the context of the poets of the
past and their contemporaries. Patterns emerged which are now evident. We will begin with an examination of the two great precursors of Modernism, Walt Whitman
and Emily Dickinson. We will follow with a very brief look at the French avant garde of the last 19th century, then move quickly to the great modernist poets. These
include Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, E.E. Cummings, William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens. We will turn to examine the great women of poetry in the first half of the
20th century. These include Myna Loy, H.D. and others. This is a class for both writers and readers. For writers, we will look carefully at the techniques of these great
poets in the context of our own writing. For readers, hopefully, by looking carefully at these poems, the stark beauty of these works will become more evident.

Section 3: "Mark Twain’s Short Works" (November: 1, 15, 29; December: 6)

Mark Twain published short stories, essays and letters starting when he was 15 till his last year of life. He also wrote other short works such as sketches, burlesques,
satire, political rants, hoaxes and straight reporting. We will explore some of these and Twain’s place in 19th century America. Some critics have stated that Twain’s
novels are merely short stories strung together; we will discuss this, also.

The Elements of Creative Writing with Joe Milazzo, Edie Bakker, Gayle Bell and Jim Dolan
(12 Weeks)
Thursdays, September 23 – December 16 (no class November 25), 7 PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista
Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
$135 Members / $175 Others; Members save $10 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
Via both regular reading and writing, this course offers a comprehensive overview of the distinguishing characteristics of the 3 major literary genres:
poetry; fiction; and creative non-fiction. Through careful study of issues of both from and content in each genre, students will be encouraged to
generate new work. Additionally, students will have ample opportunities to participate in group critique workshops, and to reflect on that experience.
Lead instructor JOE MILAZZO, in addition to serving as the Director of Community Education and Outreach at The Writer’s Garret, is also cofounder of
the interdisciplinary arts organization STROPHE, co-editor of the online journal [out of nothing], Assistant Managing Editor for Black Clock, and the
proprietor of Imipolex Press. Joe’s writings have appeared in Electronic Book Review, The Dallas Morning News, Chronometry (an anthology), In
Posse Review, Tea Party, Black Clock, Drunken Boat, Antennae and elsewhere.
PLEASE NOTE: This course is a prerequisite for many of our other offerings.

Edie Bakker Gayle Bell Jim Dolan Joe Milazzo

Reading with Richard Wirick and Jonathan Woods

Tuesday, September 28, 6:30 PM Location: McKinney Avenue Contemporary (MAC), 3120 McKinney Ave.,
Dallas, TX 75204
Admission: $5 Members, Students and Seniors / $8 Others
RICHARD WIRICK’s most recent book is Kicking In (Soft Skull, 2010.) His first book of linked stories, One Hundred Siberian
Postcards, was released to wide acclaim in 2007. His other stories and articles have appeared in a number of publications,
including The Los Angeles Times, Playboy, Fiction, Chicago Review, and PEN Quarterly. He lives in Southern California.

JONATHAN WOODS resides in Dallas, Texas with his spouse, the artist Dahlia Woods, and a shih tzu named Sweet Pea.
He holds degrees from McGill University, New England School of Law and New York University School of Law. Several years
ago woods gave up his law practice with a multi-national high-tech company to write full-time. Woods’ noir crime stories and
other writings have appeared in 3:AM Magazine, Dogmatika, Plots With Guns, Thuglit, Pulp Pusher and elsewhere. Visit
his website at: www.southernnoir.com.
 SEPTEMBER (cont.)
Special Topics in Fiction with Bridget Foley (2 separate sections or take both at a discount)
I: Point-Of-View
Thursdays, September 30, October 14, and October 28, 7PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La
Vista Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
$90 Members / $105 Others; Members save $10 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline OR take both "Point-of-View" and
"Setting" (November) for $165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $20 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
Multiple characters populate every story. Which one is the "right" one to narrate a particular scene or story? When is it best to use
an omniscient narrator vs. a first, second or third person perspective? In this workshop we will explore the choices surrounding point of view and how to
determine the strongest, most compelling voice to best serve the tale. This workshop will include in-class and at-home exercises, in-class group critique
and the opportunity to edit/rewrite your work.

II: Setting
Thursdays, November 4, November 18, and December 2, 7PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas,
TX 75214
$90 Members / $105 Others; Members save $10 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline OR take both "Point-of-View" (September /
October) and "Setting" for $165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $20 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
A sense of place, or setting, can be as crucial to the telling of a riveting tale as characterization and plot. This course will explore how to use setting to
deepen your readers’ experience of the world of your story through in-class exercises, group critique, and take-home assignments. We will particularly
address the relationship between point of view and setting.
PLEASE NOTE: It is recommended that you have taken "Elements of Creative Writing" or its equivalent before enrolling in this course.
PRE-WORK REQUIRED: Please bring a chapter or short story from your current work to use with the exercises presented in this course.
RECOMMENDED READINGS: You may wish to read Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese, and Little Bee, Chris Cleave, as we will review excerpts of
these works in class. Reading these novels in their entirety is not required, however.
BRIDGET BOLAND FOLEY’s work has appeared in print and web formats. She is the author of a memoir, Necessary Utterances, and Undertow, a
semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon.com Breakout Novel Contest. Her work has won the Writers League of Texas Memoir Prize and the Surrey Writers
Conference Nonfiction Contest. Ms. Boland teaches writing classes on fiction and memoir, coaches other writers, and offers seminars on yoga and
writing as life process tools. She holds an MFA in creative writing as well as a JD, and is the recipient of five residencies at The Ragdale Foundation.

OCTOBER
Expressing Your Spirituality: A Writing Course with Mary Blye Howe (4 Weeks)
Tuesdays, October 5 – October 26, 7 PM – 9 PM Location: University Park United Methodist Church, 4024 Caruth
Blvd., Dallas, TX 75225
$120 Members / $145 Others; Members save $20 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
If you want to express your deepest spiritual longings in writing, for publication or simply for personal self-expression, author
Mary Blye Howe will guide you as you share your spiritual journey with pen and paper. Mary will guide you to discover the
unique aspects of your own spirituality and, depending on your individual desires, to either capture an editor's eye or to feel the
fulfillment of spiritual self-expression. During class time, Mary will provide opportunity for participation, although it isn't necessary
to enjoy and benefit from the class.

MARY BLYE HOWE is the award-winning author of two spiritual memoirs, A Baptist Among The Jews (2003), and Sitting with Sufis, which was named
the Best Book for 2005 from Spirituality and Health under the category of Multifaith. In 2004, Mary was honored by the Baptist Center for Ethics for her
writing on interfaith relations. Mary's articles have appeared in various periodicals, including The Chicago Tribune, Entrepreneur, American Heritage of
Invention & Technology, AAA Going Places, The Dallas Morning News, Texas Highways, Writer's Digest, and many others. She has also appeared on
radio and television programs across the country, including NPR's All Things Considered, The Glenn Mitchell Show, Common Threads, The Ian
Punnett Show, and Talkline, among others.

The Elements of Poetry with Rebecca Balcarcel (6 Weeks)

Wednesdays, October 13 – November 17, 7 PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr.,
Dallas, TX 75214
$165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $15 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
A six-week class/workshop for beginning and intermediate poets or a refresher course for poets who have been practicing for so
long they want to wake up to new challenges. Learn to craft and anchor your feelings and ideas by compressing and elevating
language that reaches others. This course will focus on: image, voice, sound play, form, dramatic monologues, and the "So-what
Test."
 OCTOBER (cont.)
REBECCA BALCARCEL is the author of Palabras in Each Fist, a book of poems just out from Pecan Grove Press. Her work has appeared in over
forty journals and magazines, including North American Review, Concho River Review, Red River Review, and Oklahoma Review. Rebecca holds an
MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars, regularly speaks at conferences, and serves Tarrant County College as Associate Professor of English. Trivia:
Rebecca is mom to identical twins, skydived in 2008, and biked from Houston to Santa Fe in the 90's. Find her at www.rebecccabalcarcel.com.

"The Book Of Ruth": Historical Fiction, Parable or Novella? with Joe Milazzo (6 Weeks)
Sundays, October 16 – November 20, 5 PM – 7 PM
Location: University Park United Methodist Church, 4024 Caruth Blvd., Dallas, TX 75225
$165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $25 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
Seemingly slight, "The Book Of Ruth" nevertheless contains one of the most emotionally gripping, unusual and yet utterly human of all Biblical stories.
Over the course of six weeks, members of this class will participate in a close reading of "The Book of Ruth." By focusing on principles of narrative --
including narration, point-of-view, character, setting, plot, symbolism and more -- the class will explore the full range of meanings made by the story.
Moreover, the class will consider how "The Book of Ruth" can serve as a model for how inspired authors often employ form and structure in surprising
and innovative ways, ways that de-emphasize particular lessons in favor of re-asserting the value and the sacredness of even the most common of
human experiences.
JOE MILAZZO, in addition to serving as the Director of Community Education and Outreach at The Writer’s Garret, is also cofounder of the
interdisciplinary arts organization STROPHE, co-editor of the online journal [out of nothing], Assistant Managing Editor for Black Clock, and the
proprietor of Imipolex Press. Joe’s writings have appeared in Electronic Book Review, The Dallas Morning News, Chronometry (an anthology), In
Posse Review, Tea Party, Black Clock, Drunken Boat, Antennae and elsewhere.

The Art of Nonfiction Storytelling with Melissa Shultz (6 Weeks)

Tuesdays, October 19 – November 30 (no class on November 23), 7 PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks
Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
$165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $15 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
Learn how to turn your real-life experiences into essays and articles for websites and magazines. Gain a clearer understanding of
the hook you need to make your work saleable, and develop your voice along the way. Both a workshop and an exercise-
intensive class, the six week course will be taught by Melissa T. Shultz of Jim Donovan Literary in Dallas.
MELISSA T. SHULTZ has written for print, television, video, and radio including: The Dallas Morning News, The Washington
Post, D Magazine, Better Health and Living, Ladies’ Home Journal, Newsweek, Babble.com, and CNN Radio.

NOVEMBER
Special Topics in Fiction with Bridget Foley (2 separate sections or take both at a discount)
II: Setting
Thursdays, November 4, November 18, and December 2, 7PM – 9 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas,
TX 75214
$90 Members / $105 Others; Members save $10 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline OR take both "Point-of-View" (September /
October) and "Setting" for $165 Members / $195 Others; Members save $20 if registered by the Early Bird Deadline
A sense of place, or setting, can be as crucial to the telling of a riveting tale as characterization and plot. This course will explore how to use setting to
deepen your readers’ experience of the world of your story through in-class exercises, group critique, and take-home assignments. We will particularly
address the relationship between point of view and setting.
PLEASE NOTE: It is recommended that you have taken "Elements of Creative Writing" or its equivalent before enrolling in this course.
PRE-WORK REQUIRED: Please bring a chapter or short story from your current work to use with the exercises presented in this course.
RECOMMENDED READINGS: You may wish to read Cutting for Stone, Abraham Verghese, and Little Bee, Chris Cleave, as we will review excerpts of
these works in class. Reading these novels in their entirety is not required, however.
BRIDGET BOLAND FOLEY’s work has appeared in print and web formats. She is the author of a memoir, Necessary Utterances, and Undertow, a
semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon.com Breakout Novel Contest. Her work has won the Writers League of Texas Memoir Prize and the Surrey Writers
Conference Nonfiction Contest. Ms. Boland teaches writing classes on fiction and memoir, coaches other writers, and offers seminars on yoga and
writing as life process tools. She holds an MFA in creative writing as well as a JD, and is the recipient of five residencies at The Ragdale Foundation.
 DECEMBER
Holiday Party
Sunday, December 12, 1 PM – 3 PM Location: Upstairs at Paperbacks Plus, 6115 La Vista Dr., Dallas, TX 75214
FREE, but we love donations

Big THANKS!!!!
The Writer's Garret's Spring season is made possible by our chief supporters and partners: Paperbacks Plus; National Endowment for the Arts; City of Dallas Office of
Cultural Affairs; Texas Commission on the Arts; Humanities Texas / NEH; Today Foundation / Today Newspapers; George and Fay Young Foundation; James and
Gayle Halperin Foundation / Heritage Auction Galleries; ArtsPartners / Young Audiences; Gardere Wynne Sewell, LLP; Adolphus Hotel; Mesquite Arts Council; Energy
Production Corporation (EPCO); Wukasch Foundation; Kay Cattarulla Fund of The Dallas Foundation; Calvert K. Collins Family Foundation; Whole Foods; and our
Board of Trustees, Board of Sponsors, and members.