Facilitated by Cammy Thomas and Liz Bedell
Saturday April 2, 10:15 a.m.
Lilly Library, Florence
Writers read differently: for pleasure, for diversion, yes, but most of all we read to discover how authors make us care about their characters, to uncover and understand their strategies and craft. In “Reading Like a Writer,” Francine Prose reminds us that “language is the medium (writers) use in much the same way a composer uses notes (or) a painter uses paint.” In this workshop, we will read selected examples closely, parsing them line-by-line to examine the author’s linguistic choices and how each shapes the emerging characterization. Participants will have a chance to apply these insights immediately, via short exercises.
Cammy Thomas’ second book of poems, Inscriptions, was published in 2014. Her first book, Cathedral of Wish, received the 2006 Norma Farber First Book Award from the Poetry Society of America. The judge was Medbh McGuckian. Both are published by Four Way Books. Her poems have recently appeared in Appalachia, Bateau, The Classical Outlook, The Healing Muse, and Spillway. A fellowship from the Ragdale Foundation helped her complete Inscriptions. She lives in Lexington and teaches literature and creative writing at Concord Academy.
Liz Bedell is a writer, writing coach and editor living in Northampton. She spent over 20 satisfying years teaching literature and writing in rigorous high schools, while doing her own writing in the margins. An intangible “what’s next, Mrs. Landingham?” prompted her to uproot that settled existence, and she’s put writing at the center of her life in the last several years. She is at work on a novel set during the Great War and a collection of essays about the writing life. Currently teaching part-time at The Hartsbrook School, she also runs weekly writing groups in Northampton.