SECOND SATURDAY SERIES SPRING 2013

Each session is from 10:00-1:00 and costs $75.00

January 12: Teachers, Words, and Art Location: Menil Collection (1515 Sul Ross) Writers in the Schools approaches the art of writing as a personal journey where we tell our own stories and create personal connections to what we read, the music we hear, and the art we see. This workshop focuses on exploring the connection between visual art and writing. We will visit the Menil Collection to experience what it means to engage with art and how that leads to deep, thoughtful writing. We will also talk about ways visual art and writing can be brought into the classroom*.

Maryann Gremillion is in her fifth year with Writers in the Schools, and has taught writing workshops at Inprint, the Spectrum Writers Guild, and True You Creativity Studio. Her first micro essay was published in The Sun magazine in October 2010, and in April 2011 she won the Educational and Cultural Opportunity Fund literary grant from Women in the Visual and Literary Arts. Telling Our Stories Press will publish her ultra short memoir this fall. She also collaborates with other artists on both collage and writing projects, and her work has appeared at Winter Street Studios, Archway Gallery, and the Lawndale Art Center. She studied the teaching of writing at Columbia University's Reading and Writing Project. *Workshop includes 30- 45 minutes with Menil Collection curator.

February 9: Civil “Writes” Location: The African American Library at the Gregory School (1300 Victor St.) It revisits every February. Yet like the guest that stays too long, Black History Month can prove a nerve- wracking time where teachers struggle to find "new" approaches to engage students on a familiar topic. All too often the attempt fails, and students yawn through yet another recitation of a famous speech, profile of a courageous figure, musical tribute to the Emancipation Proclamation. Not so with Civil Writes. This workshop uses hands-on, interactive strategies to show how civil rights-themed poetry, prose, visual arts, and music can light a creative fuse that will have teacher-participants producing original works of their own. And when teachers get fired-up, imagine the possibilities when such lessons are introduced to students? You will leave with enough ammunition to set your students' creative juices afire for days to come.

A California native, Mignette Patrick Dorsey is an author, teacher, and former journalist. Her book, Speak Truth to Power, the Story of Charles Patrick, a Civil Rights Pioneer, won the Calvin Smith Book Award, as well as the Lone Star College System Published Writing Award. She began her journalism career as a staff reporter for Houston Community Newspapers, and later the Houston Post where she won the Aldo and Atrium awards for fashion feature stories. After the demise of the Post, she worked freelance and on contract for the Houston Chronicle. She currently teaches English at a Houston-area community college. Dorsey earned an M.A. and B.A. in English Literature from the University of Houston.

April 13: Music and Poetry Location: The Last Concert Cafe (1403 Nance St) This workshop will examine the relationship between music and poetry. The goal is to bring the joy of music into the For information: contact Tina Angelo 713.523.3877 [email protected] To register: go to www.witshouston.org SECOND SATURDAY SERIES SPRING 2013 classroom and to help give students an impression of poetry as something more than quiet text in a book. Topics will include the role of the poet/musician in various cultures throughout world history, the teaching of poetic meter and form through songwriting, and methods and examples for introducing familiar folksong and popular traditions as poetic genre in the classroom. No musical expertise or talent necessary.

David Feil earned his BA in English from Rice University and his MA in English from New York University. Aside from his residencies with Writers in the Schools, he also works as an after-school tutor, a creative music instructor with Nameless Sound, an adjunct English and Humanities faculty member at HCC Central, and a freelance art and theater critic. He is also an accomplished musician who has previously performed with internationally renowned artists and in such unique spaces as the Menil Collection's Rothko Chapel, Richmond Hall, and the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

May 11:Teachers as Writers: How to Get Published Location: Bright Sky Press (2365 Rice Blvd.) If you are a teacher who has either written a book or has ever said, “I should write a book about that,” but you don’t know how to start the process of getting it published, this workshop is for you. A panel of published authors will be sharing their experiences, offering some tips, and answering your questions about the process of getting your work published. Come and be inspired and energized.

Since retiring from the practice of law, Andrea White has published four books of historical fiction: Surviving Antarctica, Window Boy, Radiant Girl, and Windows on the World, the first book in the Upcity Chronicles trilogy, about a young girl who time travels back to the Twin Towers. In 2012, Windows won the Spirit of Texas award, established by the Texas Library Association for middle school fiction. Karen Walrond is a speaker, writer and photographer. Karen's bestselling book, The Beauty of Different, is a chronicle of imagery and portraiture, combined with written essays and observations on the concept that what makes us different makes us beautiful. Her writing, images and other projects have been featured on CNN.com, USA Today, Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping and Wondertime magazines, among others. As Publisher of Bright Sky Press, Lucy Herring Chambers handles all editorial functions and oversees publicity and social media. Bright Sky’s goal is to create well- crafted volumes that exemplify the visions and voices of our region and distribute them to the broadest market possible. Before becoming a partner in Bright Sky Press in 2008, she taught English at St. John's School, taught Early Childhood classes and worked as a free-lance writer and editor.

For information: contact Tina Angelo 713.523.3877 [email protected] To register: go to www.witshouston.org