Get Lit!  Writing Workshops
Get Lit!  Writing Workshops are slated for Saturday, April 23, 2005, at the West Coast Ridpath Hotel, 515 W. Sprague Avenue in downtown Spokane, Washington beginning at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Writing genres will include teaching poetry, fiction, memoir, writing poetry and typography.
 
Register for workshops through the Get Lit!  office. Either download the Get Lit!  2005 Workshop Registration Form and mail it in or drop it off to 705 West 1st Ave., Rm. 421, Spokane WA 99201, or phone in to (509) 623-4262. The fee for a workshop is $50, $45 for your second. Students are eligible for a 50% discount (we'll ask you for your current student I.D. at workshops check in). Get Lit!  workshops are presented by the EWU Press.

I Can Fly, You Can Fly: Teaching Poetry Writing in Schools
Facilitator: Carlos Reyes
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
 
Bring paper and pen(cil)s and be prepared to write poetry! Your writing will be guided by exercises Reyes uses while teaching poetry writing in schools. Your understanding of how you can use such exercises and other tools to teach poetry to your students will be enhanced by the workshop discussion with this master. Teaching all grade levels will be addressed. Register early: Limited seating.
 
Carlos Reyes is an accomplished poet who also has taught poetry writing for more than twenty years in Oregon, Washington and Nevada schools.

Discovering the Poem on the Page
Facilitator: Michael Heffernan
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
 
Free yourself from the topic you had in mind when you began writing to explore the urgings of the poem. Learn about recognizing the theme(s) that emerge as you write. Discover what's on the page that you may not have known was there. In this workshop, you'll discuss poems submitted by participants; with preference given to poems put forward in advance (ask for details when you register).
 
Micheal Heffernan is a prize-winning poet who teaches in the MFA program at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

The Illuminated Stories (Fiction)
Facilitator: Debra Magpie Earling
Time: 9 a.m. to noon
 
Discover stunning images, compelling characters, and gripping story lines. This will be a hands-on, intensive workshop with exercises that will spawn immediate and often astonishing results. Come with an open mind and a willingness to share the powerful images and ideas that fuel your writing. Learning new techniques can be an intimidating and even frightening process, but if you suspend your fears you will find stories that are truly your life's calling. Be prepared to give up any preconceived notions you have about the writing process to learn something different. The class will be a storytelling event that will generate ideas for stories for years to come.
 
Debra Magpie Earling is an award-winning author who teaches at the University of Montana in the Creative Writing Program.

Writing Memoir from Your Life Experience
Facilitator: Steve Ringo
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Are you thinking about writing out important experiences from your life? Could you use some ideas to help you with the memoir you've started? In this workshop, you'll brainstorm to uncover the themes and threads of narrative in your life and participate in exercises to free up your writing. You'll also discuss short passages from notable literary memoirs and such issues as gaining perspective, pitfalls to avoid, and how to stay motivated for writing. The free morning panel about memoir, biography and autobiography will help set the stage for this workshop.
 
Steve Ringo teaches writing and literature courses at Whitworth College in their evening studies program. He specializes in the study of memoir and autobiography.

Typographic Design in Books and Public Art
Facilitator: John Laursen
Time: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
 
Learn about the underlying philosophy and approach that John brings to his work in book design and public art typography. Discuss the books, slide subjects and artifacts he will show to illustrate aspects of typographic design. You are welcome to bring a current book design challenge to workshop with this experienced professional.
 
John Laursen has been a free-lance book designer for 35 years. He designs and shepherds through the production process books of visual art, poetry, essays, history, and photography for small publishers as well as nonprofit organizations focused on art, history, and the environment. Laursen also designs large-scale typography in granite, bronze, and stainless steel for public art projects.