Loft's Young Writers' Program

YOUNGWRITERS’PROGRAM

SUMMER CATALOG 2013 | loft.org

Classes for young writers start most weeks of June, July, and August. Almost 100 options led by award-winning and professional writers who love to help youth and teens explore, dream, create, grow, and connect.

Ages 6–17

Become a Member and Support the Loft Community

Your membership is the lifeblood of the Loft and contributes directly to the development of writers and the literary community. Membership allows us to ensure that our youth classes remain accessible by offering low-income pricing. As a member, you receive benefits and discounts as well as the knowledge that your support ensures the future of the Loft programs you value. For details on membership, visit www.loft.org/support or call 612-215-2597.

2

| Pr

og

rAM

intr

o

ummer at the Loft means an all-new slate of creative writing classes and camps ready to launch—or relaunch—your literary love. Yeah, we know

you’ve been hitting the books all year and working incredibly hard. So, how about taking time this summer to have some fun and explore your passion for self-expression?

This year the Loft’s Young Writers’ Program is thrilled to hold almost 100 classes, with 50 that are completely new! But don’t worry, we made sure your favorites are back—including comic- and bookmaking collaborations with Minnesota Center for Book Arts! We have craft-centered classes for the young writer serious about studying creative writing, classes on world building, fanfic, mystery writing, music journalism, how to get published, and so much more. Our talented pool of teaching artists (see bios on pages 48) eagerly await each summer, when the building comes alive with the stomps, cheers, laughs, and ideas from youth across the metro.

We invite you into these pages to explore, dream, and deepen your connec-tion to yourself and your creative talents. We invite you into the writing life this summer—whether you join us for one week-long session, opt to regis-ter for multiple classes for an all-day Loft experience, or enroll for weeks on end, the Loft’s Young Writers’ Program is here to meet you on your writing journey and cheer you on to the next step! We’ve got a pencil and note-book with your name on it, and they’re waiting to take you anywhere your imagination can carry you.

— Jennifer Dodgson, Young Writers’ Program Manager

Welcome to the Loft’s 2013 Young Writers’ Program!

S

tA

bLe oF c

on

tents | 3

TABLE Of CONTENTSgenerAL ProgrAM inFo .........................4LoFt/McbA coMbo cLAsses................6cLAsses For teens (Ages 15–17) ......10

cLAsses For teens (Ages 13–17) ..... 20

onLine cLAsses (Ages 13–17) ............. 28

cLAsses For YoUtH (Ages 12–14) .. 30

cLAsses For YoUtH (Ages 9–11) ..... 37

cLAsses For KiDs (Ages 6–8) .............. 43

YoUtH teAcHing Artists ................... 48

RegistRation: Register in person, by phone, fax, mail, or online at www.loft.org. Save on tuition by becoming a Loft member!

Classes:Don’t know which level class is right for you? Call the Loft’s education staff (612-379-8999)—we are here to help!

PRiCing:Reg = Regular price, Mem = Member price, Low = Low income (single total annual income of $25,000 or less or household of two or more with a total annual income of $45,000 or less)

suite 200, open book 1011 Washington Avenue south Minneapolis, Mn 55415

Loft Website | www.loft.org

Loft offices | 612-215-2575 (t–F) Loft Fax | 612-215-2576 Loft education Line | 612-379-8999

4

| g

ener

AL

inFo

RegistrationRegistration is open until a class becomes full, or up until the second class meeting. You can register your child or teen online at www.loft.org, by calling 612-379-8999, or by mail (use the enclosed form). A detailed confirmation letter will be emailed once your registration has processed. Please also call or drop by our office (T–F, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.). We are here to help.

Age Ranges and Writing AbilityThe age ranges listed for each class are suggested guidelines, but before registering your child for a class outside of her/his age range, please consider that teaching artists propose classes based on age ranges they are comfort-able teaching. Suggested age ranges also consider socialization, as well as more mature class discussions; you may have an incredibly gifted child who excels at writing and learning, but please consider whether s/he would be comfortable in a class with children much older/younger, comfortable participating in more mature class discussions pertaining to writing for older audiences, and how it would affect the learning environment of the others. If you have questions or concerns about this, please contact us at 612-215-2579.

ScholarshipsScholarships are available for students in need on a first-come, first-served basis and require proof that your child is eligible to receive free or reduced lunch at school. Please call 612- 215-2579 for specific class scholarship avail-ability. Please: only one scholarship per child per summer.

Technology in Loft ClassesAt this time, the Loft is not able to provide students with individual laptops for classroom use, so classes with technology requirements (specifically this summer, “Interactive Fiction and Game Design” with the Choosatron) will have to be provided by the students and their families. Open Book does have wireless internet, and each classroom comes equipped with ample power outlets. The Loft suggests each student bring their own extension cord in order to reach wall outlets.

GENERAL PROGRAM INfO

g

enerA

L inFo

| 5

Parents with Children or Teens with Special NeedsChildren and teens with disabilities are always welcome at the Loft! Please call us at 612-215-2579 if you would like to discuss how the Loft can accom-modate the needs of your child or teen (hearing or sight impairments, children with PCA’s, learning challenges) in order for them to more fully participate in and enjoy Loft classes! Please see page 51 for more information about the Loft’s accessibility policy.

Student ReadingsMany teaching artists hold student readings on the last day of class; please check in with your child’s teaching artist for information on whether or not s/he plans to hold a student reading. Family and friends are always welcome to hear the work created by our talented young writers!

What to BringPlease pack snacks, beverages, lunch (if applicable), and anything else specified in the class description. The Loft will provide a notebook and pencil on the first day of class, but you should feel free to bring along any preferred writing utensils or beloved journals.

A Note about Child CareLoft staff and teaching artists do not provide childcare for students during the 15 minute breaks between classes or before or after classes. Please do not drop young children off more than five minutes before the start of a class, and make sure to pick up children promptly at class end. Keep in mind that Open Book is a public building in a busy downtown area; generally teens are fine—and welcome—to hang out on their own in the building if they sign up for multiple classes. Open Book is home to many different busi-nesses, including a lovely book arts gallery and coffee shop on the first floor.

New this year: If you decide to register your child or teen for morning and afternoon classes, they can join us in a supervised Loft classroom for the 45-minute lunch break. The Loft is not able to provide lunch for students, so remember to pack a lunch. We’ll have music, games, and writing/drawing time available until their next class begins at 1 p.m. This option is intended for children enrolled in both 10:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. classes.

Cancellation and Refund PolicyIn the event the Loft has to cancel a class, you will be notified in advance and issued a 100 percent refund. If you need to cancel, notify the Loft education office before the start of the second class meeting to receive our standard 85% refund. Unless the Loft cancels a class, no 100% refunds can be given once registration has taken place, as there is a registration fee of 15%. No refunds will be given after the start of the second class meeting.

Pricing Reg = Regular; Mem = Loft Member (see page 3 for details)

6

| Lo

Ft/M

cbA

co

Mbo

cLA

sses

LOfT/MCBA COMBO CLASSESgalleRY eXHiBit oF stUDent WoRKLast year’s gallery exhibit of student work was so popular, we’re bringing it back this year! Loft and Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) combo class students will have a gallery showing of their book art and writing in the second floor Literary Commons of Open Book from August 3–10, 2013. The exhibit will be free and open to the public, and will culminate in a student reading and reception on Saturday, August 10 from 1–3 p.m. Students in any Loft/MCBA combo class, as well as friends, family, and community members, are invited to attend. The exhibit will be curated by Joann Price from MCBA, and snacks and beverages will be provided at the closing event.

Note: Low-income pricing is not available for these special combo classes.

Combo Classes for Ages 15–17

KeePing a CReative WRiteR’s JoURnal | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | JeSSICA HARMAnOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 1–4:15 p.m. | Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

In this class, we will learn some basics of writing practice, but most of all, we will learn how to look and express what we experience, inside and outside, in writing. Since journals are often spaces where writing prac-tice happens before poems and stories take shape, we, too, will extend our experiences and how we express them into poems and stories. By the end of the class, each student will have completed a poem, a short story, and a piece of nonfiction based on things that they experience every day. Students will also work in Minnesota Center for Book Arts’ studio space and papermaking studios with artist’s tools and printing equipment to create a journal with beautiful handmade paper.

ClAsses

Summer Youth Classes are listed here. adult classes are listed at loft.org.

Lo

Ft/Mc

bA c

oM

bo c

LAsses | 7

full-day camp MaKing CoMiCs (ages 15–17) | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | TOM SPenCeOne-Week Camp | July 29–Aug 2 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m.Reg $525.00; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $472.50

Combining bookmaking techniques from MCBA, students will learn the fundamentals of the sequential art of comic books. Beginning at the conceptual stage, students will develop their own unique characters and story, followed by breakdowns on panels, text, and pace and timing, resulting in a finalized mini-comic. Along with lessons in bookmaking, students will also acquire knowledge in printing, gaining experience with the Vandercook press, large sign press, and other equipment.


full-day camp MaKing CoMiCs (ages 12–14) | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | TOM SPenCeOne-Week Camp | July 8–12 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Reg $525.00; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $472.50

Learn the building blocks of comics: from idea to bookmak-ing. Starting with making their own characters, students will then learn how to put the characters into a story, followed by lessons on how to use panels and text to support their story. At the end of the week, students will have a variety of fin-ished projects, including their own printed mini-comic from the Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

Pricing Reg = Regular; Mem = Loft Member (see page 3 for details)

8

| Lo

Ft/M

cbA

co

Mbo

cLA

sses


WHat a CHaRaCteR! | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | SALLY BORGenOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 1–4:15 p.m. | Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

In this class, the beginning writer will create a new character and dis-cover what makes that person tick! Students will create the public side (accomplishments, biography, appearance) and private side (emotions, quirks, fears, strengths) of their new characters. They will flesh out the character through flash-writing, sharing their work, and personal journal writing. By the end of the week, students will have a charismatic character searching for a setting and a plot. As part of this class, you’ll also work with a book arts instructor at Minnesota Center for Book Arts to create your own handmade journal! You will also explore print making and papermaking.

FaiRY tales, MYtHs, anD BooK MaKing | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | MARIe OLOFSDOTTeROne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

In this class, we’ll explore the timeless territory of fairy tales and myths. We will record the hair-raising adventures of a main character, the hero, who sets out on a magical journey to save a troubled kingdom and encounters a myriad of animals, villains, and mystical beings in the process. After inventing our own setting, characters, and plot, students will then work with MCBA to bring their stories to life in a pop-up book, with handmade marbled paper, and printed in the printmaking studio!

it’s all aBoUt Me! | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | BRenDA HUDSOnOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

We’ll use fun writing exercises to help you tell your own story of who you are and what you think, feel, and dream. We’ll show you how to use your writing and other materials to create a beautiful book, with you as the main character! This is a hands-on class that provides quirky writing prompts to get you thinking about yourself in a new way. At Minnesota Center for Book Arts, you will work with a book arts instructor to learn different journal binding techniques. You will also create personalized paper in our paper making studio and design a pressure print that is uniquely you!

Lo

Ft/Mc

bA c

oM

bo c

LAsses | 9


sillY stoRies | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | CARISSA TOBInOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

Silly stories are fun to read and fun to write. As a class, we’ll read stories including “No, David!” and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” and discuss what the authors do to make their works funny. Students will use these silly stories as a model for their own writing. We will focus on creativity and students will be encouraged to write and draw regard-less of ability level. The goal is to foster a love for writing while having fun with literature. After spending time in class reading and writing, students will head down to Minnesota Center for Book Arts, where the newly created silly stories will be turned into real books! Join a book art instructor to explore pop-up bookmaking, silly printing, and paper pulp painting to create one-of-a-kind paper!

PaleoPoetRY: WRiting aBoUt DinosaURs | a loFt/MCBa CoMBo Class | CHRISTIne FRIeDLAnDeROne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 9 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $262.50; Mem (Loft and MCBA) $236.25

Students in this class will become Poetic Paleontologists—that is, they will uncover the prehistoric world of dinosaurs using creative writing as their primary means of excavation. We’ll learn how to observe and describe fossils and other materials that we discover in the natural world using descriptive language, and then we’ll learn about dinosaurs from reading books like Hudson Talbott’s We’re Back!: A Dinosaur’s Story. Our friends at Minnesota Center for Book Arts will help us create our own hand-made book—the perfect place for all the dino-poetry—and we’ll express our creative vision with dino-inspired pressure printing, and enjoy making dinosaur-shaped handmade paper.

Pricing Reg = Regular; Mem = Loft Member; Low = Low-Income (see page 3 for details)

10

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

5–17

CLASSES fOR TEENS Ages 15–17

new! PoetRY ReMiX: ReCYCling langUage | JennIFeR FOSSenBeLLOne-Week Class | June 17–21 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Poetry isn’t about something, it is something. The world is a constellation of poems waiting to be captured and named. Many contemporary poetic forms make use of recycled materials found “out there” in the larger world: overheard conversation, technology lingo, graffiti, other poems, music, history, even math or the sciences. Students will learn about some com-mon forms such as found poetry, collage, cento, palimpsest, and erasure, and will ultimately venture into more rebellious territory of their own design. Learn what poetry can be when you cut it loose. Only an interest in language, the world, and the weird are required.

new! CRasH into CReativitY: in-Class insPiRation to WRite! | LennOn SUnDAnCe & JOHn FenneRTwo-Week Class | June 17–28 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Great writing is built on inspiration, motivation, and a skeleton of techniques. This class takes on stumbling blocks (point-of-view, tense, authentic detail, dialogue, pacing, and plot) head on, through in-class writing, readings, and honest discussion of one another’s work. Prepare for in-and-out of class writing exercises and creative prompts. As a group, and one-on-one, we will explore what it is that makes a piece pop.


cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

15–17 | 11

new! CHaRaCteR DeveloPMent FoR novels anD sHoRt stoRies | nInA BRICKOTwo-Week Class | June 17–28 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

In this class, we’ll focus on the finer details that go into making memora-ble and active characters. Whether you are currently working on a novel, short story, or just have a character floating in your mind, this class will pull them from the squishy squiggles of your brain and bring them to life. Students will explore their character’s deepest yearning, which will aid in making the character authentic, believable, and consistent.

new! FRoM insPiRation to stage | AAMeRA SIDDIqUIOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Inspiration is everywhere. It can be found in a quote, an argument, a song, or even a scrumptious piece of cake. This class will use all of this and more to bring to life richly developed characters that deliver moving monologues in compelling scenes. Using a combination of writing and theater exercises, students will explore the elements of play- and mono-logue writing. The last class will be devoted to a performance of each student’s work, with the students as actors!

new! DeeP Revision: CReative aPPRoaCHes to Reinventing PoetRY | JennIFeR FOSSenBeLLOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Have you written a poem, or several poems, but you’re not sure what to do next? Join other young writers to explore creative ways to respond to each other’s work and to see your own poems in a new light. Through craft talks, short readings, experimental collaboration, and peer feedback, you’ll explore the vast and sometimes intimidating terrain of poetry revision. Bring to class 5-7 drafts of poems you’ve already writ-ten, and leave with stronger poems and a ton more ideas to keep you writing and revising.

tHe WRite stUFF: eleMents oF FiCtion | KATHRYn SAvAGeOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

This class is designed for advanced writers who wish to explore the craft of fiction and learn techniques for creating compelling prose. This class will demystify literary techniques, and writers will be able to easily identify a range of techniques to make their fiction shine. On the first day, students should bring copies of one 5- to 10-page polished work of fiction in progress that they would like to get feedback on during class.


12

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

5–17

sPYing on tHe CitY | LennOn SUnDAnCe & JOHn FenneROne-Week Class | July 8–12 | 1–4 p.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

This unconventional creative writing class guides young writers in the fine arts of spying, eavesdropping, and surveillance. Through in-class exercises and urban field trips, students will develop eyes and ears for observation and storytelling. We will traverse the beautiful waterfront of Minneapolis by visiting places within walking distance of the Loft, including the Mississippi waterfront, Stone Arch Bridge area, and Mill Ruins Park. Students will witness the urban spectrum of characters at the Government Center, City Hall, and the West Bank.

new! MoRe tHan JUst tHe ZoMBie aPoCalYPse: WRiting tHe sCi-Fi/FantasY novel | LYDA MOReHOUSeOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

What do Hunger Games and Dr. Who have in common? They’re both science fiction! Did you love fantasy novels like Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief or How to Train Your Dragon? If writing stories with zombies, robots, vampires, fairies, (or even unicorns!) is your thing, then this might be the class for you. We’ll discuss the difference between science fiction and fantasy, learn how to build believable worlds, and make readers rip through the pages of your short story or novel. We will play story games and have idea prompts with a science fiction/fantasy edge. If one of your goals is to break in and get professionally published, we will also discuss strategies that can make that happen!


cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

15–17 | 13

new! PUsH it: aDvanCeD WRiting WoRKsHoP | LennOn SUnDAnCe & JOHn FenneRTwo-Week Class | July 15–26 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

This is an advanced-level workshop for writers with a (5-to-10 page) piece that is ready to be critiqued, analyzed, and improved (It can be an essay, a chapter from a bigger piece, or a short story). If you don’t have such a piece, you will by the end of the first week. Students will get one-on-one conferences, as well as meaningful feedback from their teaching artists and peers. Students must possess the maturity and ability to work in a positive, constructive environment with sophisticated literary themes. This class is geared toward serious writers who wish to push their work to a higher level. But fear not, we will also have a lot of fun!Note: Students must also submit work for peers to review the night before an in-class workshop (generally 5-10 pages double spaced), and review the submitted work of their peers.

new! tHe HeRo’s JoURneY: FinDing stRUCtURe in tHe staR WaRs galaXY | TInA LAUReL LeeOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 1–4:15 p.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Cross the threshold of your story! What do Luke Skywalker, Neo, Harry Potter, Dorothy, Alice all have in common? They answered the call of the hero and endured the trials and surrender in order to return home with the “elixir of life”. In this class, the writing exercises will be our guides, delivering the ‘inventory’ of our stories. Inventory is the magic details that comes from writing without expectation of outcome. It doesn’t mat-ter how much of your story you’ve already written, if you have an idea, this class will help find its form.

new! WHeRe tHe gooD songs CoMe FRoM | LUKe HAWLeYTwo-Week Class | July 22–Aug 2 | 1045 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Songwriter Leonard Cohen once said, “If I knew where the good songs came from, I’d go there more often…You’re married to mystery.” And he was kind of right; sometimes great songs do just appear out of the ether, brilliant and mysterious. But most of the time, songs are forged from the hard work of revision. We’ll talk about the craft of songwriting, form versus freedom, conquering writer’s block, the importance (or lack thereof) of a good hook, framing your songs inside rhythm and melody—and, amidst all that work, we’ll hope to stumble upon a good song or two.


14

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

5–17

new! WRiting aBoUt MUsiC: sHaRing soUnD anD PeRFoRManCe WitH WoRDs | LOGAn ADAMSTwo-Week Class | July 22–Aug 2 | 1–2:30 p.m. Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

The relationships we have with our favorite songs and music artists are intensely personal. Though it’s often easy to find ourselves lost for words when trying to articulate why that Avett Brothers, Ramones, or Kanye track means so much to us, this class will help us express those feelings. We will listen and watch music per-formances and write about them. We will read how others write about music and try to fold some of their tricks into our own writing. By the end of the two weeks students will have experience writing an insightful concert review, as well as a personal essay about an album that means the world to them.

RoCK anD WRite: eleMents oF MUsiC JoURnalisM | KATHRYn SAvAGeOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, teen writers will learn how to create captivating music journalism through writing prompts, listening to hip-hop, metal (and everything in between), and looking at how published journalists in magazines, websites, and alternative weeklies voice their love for music on the page. We’ll talk techniques for interviewing musicians—how to ask the right questions and get the answers you need. We’ll discuss how to write about your favorite band’s latest album, identifying a full range of literary techniques that will make stories shine on the page. We’ll also cover how to pitch stories to publications, and other basic skills for writing compelling music stories. Students should come to class ready to rock out and write.

new! WRite WHat YoU love: tURning YoUR Passion into a BooK | JAKe KLISIvITCHOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Do you live and die by the Vikings or Twins? Are you on a never-ending quest for the perfect burger? Is it your dream to be in a band or attend the Oscars? Write about what you love, then turn it into a book! Join a veteran book editor to explore the myriad routes from passion to publica-tion, including freelancing, journaling, blogging, and tweeting through to a final nonfiction manuscript.


cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

15–17 | 15

KeePing it Real: stoRies tHat MatteR | PATRICIA CUMBIeOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Our favorite authors often make us feel like they know exactly what we’re going through. What they say feels true. That’s why so many of us often look to writing and books for inspiration and making sense of life. If you have a desire to express what you care most deeply about—for yourself and others in the real world—this class is designed for you. Whether you want to create fiction, opinion pieces, or tell your own story, we’ll discover what it means to find your voice, develop stories people can relate to, and find the courage to tell them. Through a series of activities and writing exercises, we’ll consider book characters and real teens dealing with different life situations so you can build on your talent for writing stories as only you can tell them.

gaMeRs to HiPsteRs: WRiting tHe PeRFeCt CHaRaCteR | AMY FLADeBOeOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Do you have what it takes to write a truly great character? Maybe you spend a lot of time thinking about what it would be like to be a NASCAR driver, a pop singer on American Idol, or a world renowned scientist on the verge of break-through discovery. The first step to writing unique and believ-able fictional characters is to imagine a reality outside of your own. It was Ray Bradbury who said, “First, find out what your hero wants. Then, just follow him.” Together, we’ll learn strategies for writing great fictional characters and apply them to our own stories. We’ll be reading works by some of the most cutting-edge, contemporary writers: Miranda July, Dave Eggers, Zadie Smith and others. If you’ve taken this

class before, join us again and we’ll write new, exciting charac-ters together.


16

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

5–17

new! PeRsUasive WRiting in CReative nonFiCtion | MeLODY HeIDeOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we will explore how we can take the conventions of aca-demic persuasive writing—answering the “So What?” question, thesis statements, the rhetorical situation, etc.—and apply them to creative nonfiction. We will look at examples and then work to create our own pieces of creative nonfiction.

new! BeYonD Bella: HoW to WRite “Real” RoManCe | ROSe HAnSenOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

What really makes a good love story, and how do we write them without falling prey to laughably bad writing? We will examine the language, images, characterizations, and plots employed in a number of romantic texts—including short fiction by Pam Houston, Michael Ondaajte’s poetry, Marguerite Duras’ The Lover, and A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter—to construct the drama of romantic attachment that resists and overcomes cliché. Students will complete their own work in conjunction with reading and responding to these texts. Most of all, the class will ask students to reflect and imagine, conjuring up crossed-out journal entries and thrown-out keepsakes, writing about a state in which all-consuming love is the only kind of love that matters.


cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

15–17 | 17

new! let’s MaKe a BooK HaPPen: FRoM PRoPosal to PUBliCitY | JAKe KLISIvITCHTwo-Week Class | August 5–16 | 2:45–4:15 p.m. | Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Whether your dream is to publish your own book or someone else’s, this class will take you on an in-depth tour of the process, from conception and proposal through to publication and publicity. Ever wonder what writers, editors, publicists, salespeople, and booksellers do, how they work together to make a book a success, and how they have fun doing it? Let a book editor with 20 years experience at such publishers as Penguin and Random House show you.

aDvanCeD sHoRt stoRYtelling | KATHRYn SAvAGeOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Class Note: On the first day of class, students should bring copies of one 5 to 10-page short story (their most polished work in progress).

The writing process demands a willingness to brave unknown ter-ritories, write freely, edit valiantly, and trust your instincts. Short stories present immense challenges: in a matter of mere pages writers are asked to invent compelling characters, fantastic plots, and exciting themes. What a lot to do! This class is designed for short story writers who wish to deepen their understanding of craft. Through in-class readings of published works, we will identify literary techniques that will make your stories shine on the page. Each day, writing activities and prompts will help students generate ideas and try new techniques. Students will strengthen their prose through writing, reading, and discussing awesome published and emerging writers (that’s you).


18

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

5–17

so YoU Want to WRite an essaY FoR tHe CoMMon aPPliCation? | KATe ST. vInCenT vOGLOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Are you already stressing about what to write for that essay on your college application? This class shows how to select a topic that puts you in the best light. We’ll explore what makes a good essay and what makes a bad one. You’ll draft an essay to use for the Common Application, and the teaching artist and fellow students will critique your writing in class. This class provides the opportunity to revise and polish your writing over the course of the week. As an Ivy League graduate and a former alumni interviewer, the teaching artist will share all you’ll need to know in order to craft a strong essay and present yourself as a strong candidate in the college admission process.


cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

15–17 | 19

new! FinDing YoUR tRiBe in PoetRY | KeLLY HAnSen MAHeROne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Great writers are great readers, and great poets are no exception! Maybe you are interested in poetry but aren’t sure you “get it,” or don’t know where to start. On the other hand, maybe you already love composing poems, and want to dive deeper into the poet’s world. In this class, you will discover your “tribe”—those poets and poems that inspire, teach, and agitate you as you develop your own poetic style. Find what voices get your creative juices flowing. Then get writing! By the end of our week, you will have drafted at least one new poem a day, and you will have discovered the poets that move you.

new! FinD YoUR Digital MoDe: stoRYtelling anD soCial netWoRKing | MeLODY HeIDeOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Ever wanted to try using social networking to get your creative writing out there? In this class, we’ll look at different modes, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Jux, and Flickr, in which we might tell our stories. We’ll look at examples of writers who use them and discuss the payoffs and pitfalls of each. You’ll then choose a mode that best suits your story (or stories) and create a piece that integrates content and form.

We can do that! The Loft can customize youth and teen classes in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction to fit the needs of your school, class, or group. Loft teaching artists are a creative, fun, and experienced group of working writers who have the experience to teach you to craft a scintillating story, write a killer essay, or just learn about career opportunities in writing and what it’s like to “live the writer’s life!”

Custom creative writing programs can also be created for in-school residencies and after school enrichment programs! Call the Loft’s Young Writers’ Program Manager, Jennifer Dodgson, at 612-215-2579 to get started!

Are you interested in bringing Loft programming to your school, library,

homeschool program, or anything else?


20

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

3–17

CLASSES fOR TEENS Ages 13–17new! CaReeRs FoR WRiteRs | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we’ll cover many of the writing-related occupations that beginning writers often hold before becoming published, professional authors. Many of the careers we’ll discuss, such as book indexing and fine-line editing, are essential things for all authors to be able to do on their own. Students will be walked through the steps of each career, focusing on a different career every day.

new! intRoDUCtion to MUsiC JoURnalisM | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Music journalism is probably the easiest field for a budding journalist to break into, and competent reviewers especially can find a home in this field. In this class, we’ll go through the process of writing a music review from step one to completion. Time will be given in class to discuss how to get copies of materials from record labels and production companies for review, as well as pitching completed works to web and print-based publications. Humor, individuality of voice, and serious reflection on music are all key elements of this class.

tHe YoUng aDUlt DYstoPia | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Paola Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker. Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me. Moira Young’s Blood Red Road. Veronica Roth’s Divergent. Patrick Ness’s The Knife of Never Letting Go. Ally Condie’s Matched. Why are these apoca-lyptic, world-gone-terribly-wrong stories so appealing? In this class, we will discuss these books and many more, talking about what makes them so successful and engaging and what we can learn from them as writers. We’ll create our own dystopias in class and look at how to build a story within this framework. Students are welcome to bring their own ideas for dystopias to class as well.

cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

13–17 | 21


tHe alteRnate UniveRse: CReating FiCtional WoRlDs | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games, a dystopic future forces kids to fight to the death. In Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, fairies play nasty tricks on humans. Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series has the myths of the Greek gods exploding into reality. And it seems like there are new renditions of the vampire and werewolf mythology popping up every week (Maggie Stiefvater’s Shiver, Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods). All of these popular young adult books have successfully created vivid, engaging fictional universes that readers love to enter and re-enter. How do these authors do it? Class time will involve literary analysis of several popular young adult fictional worlds, and students will spend time creating their own fictional universe or shaping one that they’ve already built. Students should expect to write every day, inside and out-side of class time.

tHe alteRnate UniveRse intensive | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 9 a.m.–noonReg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Open only to those who have taken “The Alternate Universe: Creating Fictional Worlds” (either in this summer term, or in previous Loft class terms), this class will be dedicated to extending the discussion of world building into students’ own writing. Students should be prepared to share and talk about their writing in class with others and will learn strategies and etiquette for supporting their writing peers in editing and revising. Students will write every day in class and will all be asked to participate in discussion. Class is limited to 12 students.


22

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

3–17

iMPUlse stUDio: 5 DaYs oF sPontaneoUs WRiting | AMY FLADeBOe & AnTHOnY ROSSOOne-Week Class | July 8–12 | 9 a.m.–noonReg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Five days. Five stories. It’s as simple as that. Nothing clears writer’s block more than a prompt to get you writing and a ticking deadline clock. This five day class will feature five different writing activities that will surely leave your quill inkless. We’ll read some flash fiction to send our minds spinning, practice some techniques for spontaneous story writing, and then we’ll let our pencils take over. We’ll even practice performing the pieces to create our own podcast. You might pull your hair out, you might callus your fingers and chew your eraser to bits, but you won’t leave empty-handed. You’ll be sure to skip your way out of the Loft with at least five rough drafts. Some of them might not even be rough. Not for the weak of Art!

new! inFeRnal DeviCes anD MoRtal instRUMents: tHe WoRlD oF CassanDRa ClaRe | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Cassandra Clare’s YA fantasy worlds are a popular mash-up of paranor-mal, romance, and thriller. In this class, we’ll talk about these stories in terms of the core fictional building blocks (plot, setting, character, point-of-view) as well as examining the issues involved in fictional world-building. Students should expect to critique and analyze what works in these series and what does not, as well as be ready to create their own fictional fantasy worlds. Students should have read books in The Mortal Instruments series (through book #5) before registering; the Infernal Devices series is optional.

cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

13–17 | 23


FaBUloUs FanFiCtion | JeAnne BAInOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

What happens when Katniss Everdeen, Captain America, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer enter Dr. Who’s TARDIS? Will they fight a battle in the Hogwarts Castle? Get lost in Howl’s Moving Castle? In fanfiction, anything goes! Bring your favorite characters and settings to the group so we can energize them through improvisation, group writing, and laughter! Plan to dress up as a favorite character on the final day.

new! sHoRt sHoRts: MUltigenRe CReative WRiting in less tHan 1000 WoRDs | MeLODY HeIDeOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we will explore the micro-genre including prose poetry, flash fiction, and micro-memoir by reading published works, discussing practice, and, of course, by writing! We will look closely at the essential elements of each genre and learn how to apply them to our own writing.

new! HolD tHe CHeese: WRiting RoManCe | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Young Adult lit is full of romance, which isn’t surprising. But why is so much of it unrealistic and hard to relate to and just, well, cheesy? If that’s been a question on your mind, this is the class for you. We’ll create our own scenes, edit some famous ones from popular YA novels, and discuss some dilemmas in writing romantic storylines in order to learn how to make your writing more compelling without losing any swoony goodness.


24

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

3–17

new! WoRKing WitH CliCHes | CARRIe MeSROBIAnOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

If all writing is a war against cliché, as Martin Amis suggests, then why do these tired old phrasings persist? In this class, we’ll examine some clichés, looking at their provenance and backstory, and analyze why certain ones tend to persist in our own writing. We’ll also spend time playing with and reworking some of these clichés in order to make them fresh and exciting for readers.

new! tongUe on PaPeR: WRiting langUage | LISA M. BOLT SIMOnSOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

If you’ve been learning a second language or English isn’t your first lan-guage, this is the class for you. We’ll read various excerpts of texts that incorporate other languages (and therefore cultures) amidst English. Writing a different language helps the author not only create culture but celebrate it, and makes that culture come alive to those who only know English. We’ll practice writing nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Please bring a (language)/English dictionary to class every day.

new! let it FloW: Beating BRain FReeZe | KYLe JAeGeROne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 2:45 p.m.–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Writers often fall into the trap of taking themselves too serious. Their inner critic strikes and effectively freezes up the flow of creative juices. In this class, we are going to practice strategies to thaw out brain freeze, set the inner critic aside, and keep those juices flowing. We will do this with multigenre freewriting, writing prompts and activities, and peer workshopping.

WRiting tHe PeRsonal essaY FoR College aPPliCations anD FUn | RHeA DAvISOn eDWARDSOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 2:45–4:15 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

If you’re ready to take your essay-writing skills to a new level, or if you’re looking for a break from the academic essay, this is the class for you. We’ll examine the personal essay—by reading fun, informative, dramatic, and hilarious examples of the personal essay. We’ll look at the techniques each author uses to create a unique voice. We’ll also discuss what a successful college admissions essay involves (younger teens—don’t worry, there will be alternative activities if you’re not ready yet). You’ll be astonished at how much fun writing essays for school and college admissions can be with a refreshed, creative perspective!

cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

13–17 | 25

new! all tHe Feels: FanFiCtion 101 | LYDA MOReHOUSeOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

So you’ve started that epic fanfic and maybe even posted a few chapters on AO3, fancfiction.net, or elsewhere. Now the comments are rolling in and you’re wondering why you’re getting so much flak for being OOC (out of character) or getting so many questions about an emotional arc or physical description you thought was so clear! If any of this is true for you (or you just want some insight), this class is here to help make your fanfic read the way you want it to. After learning a few basics of story-telling, characterization for those original characters, and some other tips, you can start collecting kudos instead of confusion.

CHilDRen’s BooK illUstRation FoR teens | nAnCY CARLSOnOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we’ll cover what makes a successful picture book by first studying some of the best. We’ll use drawing exercises to learn how illustration works in a good picture book, work on character development by brainstorming ideas for fun characters, and study layout, including thumbnails and storyboards, ending up with a “working dummy” book. This is a beginner class, but art experience or a passion for fine arts is required. This is a good class for students interested in applying to art school.


26

| c

LAss

es F

or

teen

s | A

GE

S 1

3–17

WRiting tHe DaRK | JeAnne BAInOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 1–4 p.mReg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Laurie Halse Anderson writes about the darkness of eating disorders. Neil Gaiman tells a story of a baby whose family is massacred in the night. John Green shows us the inner lives of teens living with terminal illness. You? You love to read it all. Join this class to learn from other writers who are drawn to complex characters, disturbing situa-tions, and difficult themes—those who love all things dark. Create or strengthen your own fiction, share ideas, and explore how contemporary authors push the edge of dark-ness and give us the courage to explore our own dark work.

new! CReative WRiting FoR soCial CHange | BeCKY ZOSIA DeRnBACHOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we will explore different forms of creative writing for social change. We will begin by delving into our own identities, then connect our identities and voices with the issues we care about. We will then focus on how we can use the stories we tell and our unique perspectives to amplify our social beliefs through a variety of genres, examining the strengths and weaknesses of each form. We will explore how different authors have used these forms, reading pieces from Maya Angelou, Sherman Alexie, Zadie Smith, Dave Eggers, Andrea Gibson, and The Onion, and write our own pieces.

tHe “KnoWs” oF PUBlisHing: an intRoDUCtion to BooK PUBlisHing | DAWn FReDeRICKOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, you’ll learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry. We’ll discuss the process of how one develops a book idea and the various materials that need to be prepared, how to write a query letter, how to find an agent, the tools of social media, and the various roles that exist within today’s publishing industry. This will be a fun, interactive, hands-on class experience, with the opportunity for students who participate to receive query letter critique one month after completion of the class.

cLA

sses For teen

s | AG

ES

13–17 | 27


new! aDvanCeD JoURnalisM: tHe inteRvieW | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

The biggest challenge a journalist faces is tracking down interview sub-jects and getting a decent interview out of them. The second challenge to the “green” journalist is conducting the interview once it’s been set up. In this class, we will discuss how to set up interviews and the best way to get a good story out of a question-and-answer session, as well as cover basic information on how to track down high-profile interview subjects. We will also cover all the steps of turning an interview transcript into a traditional article-style interview, beginning with looking at a straight transcript (warts and all) through to the published piece.

new! soUnDtRaCKs anD stoRies | KARLYn COLeMAnOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Music has been used in movies to add emotion and rhythm. Beyond the creepy background music of thrillers that reveals something lurking around the corner, music has the ability to expose characters’ feelings, actions, and the tensions of a story. In this week-long class, we will use the soundtracks from such great movies as Chariots of Fire, Requiem for a Dream, City of the Living Dead, Titanic, and movies from the Harry Potter series to help us shape our characters and writing. We will use music to not only inspire us, but to teach us about pacing, plot, and characterization. Writers in this class will conduct their own powerful scenes using music as their muse. Much writing will be done.

essaY WRiting FoR tHe aCt/sat anD FoR FUn | RHeA DAvISOn eDWARDSOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Are you planning to take the ACT or SAT? Would you like a little help getting your writing skills ready? Then, this class was created for you. We’ll take an in-depth look at the essay as both art form and standardized test requirement and read examples ranging from funny to utterly academic. We’ll also discuss how to write in a timed setting and how to polish your essay very quickly. You may be surprised at how much fun writing essays can be!

28

| o

nLi

ne

cLA

sses

| A

GE

S 1

3–17


new! *CRasH* CoURse FoR teens WRiting FiCtion | KATe ST. vInCenT vOGLThree-Week Class | July 29–August 18 | Reg $99.00; Mem $89.10

Love to write? Connect online with other teens who care about writing great stories. This class will give you techniques for building better characters and help you get past the part where you keep getting stuck. As we break down what you need in developing scenes, you’ll get to create a one-minute video about your favorite book. We’ll also see the different ways to set up your story so you can write its best ending. We will workshop your short story (or chapter), so be ready to get and provide feedback for class. If you’re looking for some tips on how to write the story friends can’t wait to read, this class is for you!

Kate St. Vincent Vogl teaches students from nine to ninety at The Loft Literary Center and at the Hudson Valley Writers’ Center. She is the author of Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers and has recently completed a young adult novel.

Is your teen writer excited to take a Loft class, but can’t make it to our Minneapolis location? Or maybe he or she is scheduled to the max, even in the summer? For the first time ever, we’ll have online classes for teen writers (ages 13–17) this summer: “*CRASH* Course for Teens Writing Fiction,” with Kate St. vincent vogl and “Developing Character,” with Pat Schmatz. Both teaching artists particularly enjoy working with young writers and are known for both their writing talent and excellent teaching.

Just like our face-to-face classes, our teen online writing classes are all about having fun, developing skills, and making new friends with the same love for writing. Students in our online classes can log in any time during the week to read lectures, watch teaching artist videos, post to discussions, and share their work with peers. Since all interactions take place in our online environment, moderated by the teaching artist, Loft online classes are a safe place for teens to share their writing with other teens. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

�Online Classes for Teens

o

nLin

e cLA

sses | AG

ES

13–17 | 29

ONLINE aduLt cLassEs are listed at loft.org.

new! DeveloPing CHaRaCteR | PAT SCHMATZThree-Week Class | July 8–28 | Reg $99.00; Mem $89.10

Think about the fictional characters you love. The writer created real people ready to get up and walk off the page. How did they do that? In this class, we’ll work with our own fictional characters, developing them into fully formed people who will help you write their story. The writing we do will be background study that will inform, but not necessarily appear in, a finished novel. Come ready to experiment and play.

Pat Schmatz is the author of four books for teens, including the award-winning Bluefish. Pat has taught both teen and adult writing workshops, mostly with a focus on the revision process. She has been a mentor to adult and teen writers, and is a frequent visitor to middle and high school classrooms.

Is your teen writer excited to take a Loft class, but can’t make it to our Minneapolis location? Or maybe he or she is scheduled to the max, even in the summer? For the first time ever, we’ll have online classes for teen writers (ages 13–17) this summer: “*CRASH* Course for Teens Writing Fiction,” with Kate St. vincent vogl and “Developing Character,” with Pat Schmatz. Both teaching artists particularly enjoy working with young writers and are known for both their writing talent and excellent teaching.

Just like our face-to-face classes, our teen online writing classes are all about having fun, developing skills, and making new friends with the same love for writing. Students in our online classes can log in any time during the week to read lectures, watch teaching artist videos, post to discussions, and share their work with peers. Since all interactions take place in our online environment, moderated by the teaching artist, Loft online classes are a safe place for teens to share their writing with other teens. Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Online Classes for Teens

30

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

12–

14


CLASSES fOR YOUTH Ages 12–14new! tHe CRaFt oF iMaginative stoRYtelling | JennY SIMMOnDSOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Is your writing inspired by Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Wimpy Kids, Pretty Little Liars or perhaps the events in your own life? All interests welcomed! This class is not defined by what you love to read or write about, but by your passion for the story you’ve created. Students are asked to bring a story they have already started (at least 1 typed page) and the teaching artist and fellow-students will spend the week help-ing strengthen your story, craft your writing, and freshen your ideas. Receive and give supportive feedback, learn editing skills, sharpen your writing skills, and keep motivated to work on your story. You will be asked to read and edit a classmate’s story each night.

new! WRite UP! BRing YoUR stoRies to tHe neXt level | KATe ST. vInCenT vOGLOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Come meet others who love writing as much as you do! Learn how to write so readers can’t wait to turn the page. Find out how to develop even more compelling characters and learn what framework can make your story stronger. We’ll also talk about how to get past the parts where you’re getting stuck. Come share what you’re working on and explore some writing prompts. This class is for the kind of writing you want to do, not the kind you have to do.

JoURnalisM FoR tHe 21st CentURY | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this fast-paced class, we’ll cover all aspects of print and electronic journalism, from learning to build articles out of interviews to writ-ing product reviews. We’ll start out easy, dissecting various journalism forms and discussing their applications, and work our way to conducting interviews and placing articles in magazines. We will also cover all the steps of turning an interview transcript into a traditional article-style interview, beginning with looking at a straight transcript (warts and all) through to the finished published piece. a

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

12–14 | 31


aDventURes in sCienCe WRiting | eMILY SOHnOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Do you like adventure and exploration? Then, you might enjoy science writing. It’s an exciting job that can include traveling around the world, climbing mountains, diving to the bottom of the ocean, or digging into caves for clues about life’s mysteries. In this class, you’ll learn the nuts and bolts of writing a really good story about real-life adventures, explorations, scientific mysteries, and ground-breaking discoveries. Through hands-on exercises and lessons, you’ll learn how to dream up story ideas, interview experts about their findings, craft gripping articles, and maybe even sell them to magazines.

Beginning tRavel WRiting | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 2:45–4:15 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Just about anybody who’s picked up the travel section of the newspaper has imagined what it would be like to write about exotic locations. In this class, we’ll carefully dissect travel articles from newspapers, magazines, and books to expose the elements necessary to write good, concise, and effective travel pieces. We will be drawing from our own experiences to write entertainment locale and restaurant reviews, give vivid descriptions of natural and man-made landscapes, and discuss how to incorporate all into our travel articles.

WRite YoUR HeaD oFF! | PATRICIA CUMBIeOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Whether your passion for writing is a towering flame or a modest spark, this class will help you write about the things that you care about most. We’ll release your store of words through class interaction and writing exercises that engage your senses, connect your emotions, and peel back the inner workings of the world to see its pulp. Writers rarely know what a story’s meaning will be ahead of time, and even if they did, the process of writing changes it.

32

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

12–

14


new! CReate MagiC WitH YoUR WoRDs | PeTeR BLAUOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 9–10:30 a.m. Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Is there a writer hiding inside your head? This class will give you the tools you need to shake your creativity loose and let that writer out to play. Writers are like gardeners. They plant seeds with their imaginations and grow stories with their words. You will begin your garden in your jour-nal. Then you will watch your words bloom as you explore different writing methods, telling stories with poetry, writing about real-life adventures, and spinning your own creative tales. If you write, you are a writer. If you want to be a better writer, you should write more, and that’s exactly what this class will be about.

new! DaRK stUFF/MY stUFF: PoetRY FRoM Real liFe eXPeRienCes | KYLe JAeGeROne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

We all have stories to tell that are difficult to capture or convey, or maybe we don’t know how or why something sticks in our memory. Author Raymond Carver said, “There are significant moments in everyone’s day that can make literature.” Writers are only those people who take the time to capture those moments, whether from childhood or from our every day. In this class, we are going to practice strategies to collect our memories and experiences into poems, prose poems, and prose starts. We will do this by discussing poetry examples, performing writing prompts and activities, and participating in peer workshops.

new! not staRting FRoM sCRatCH: FanFiCtion | KRISTIn FITZSIMMOnSOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Fanfiction is fiction which takes its characters and/or world from exist-ing books, television, and movies. Writing fanfiction is a good exercise for future writing—by studying existing characters and plots and adding their own flair, students learn the elements of basic fiction writing. A fanfiction story can be the end goal of students or they may want to tran-sition to using their own characters. By the end of the class, students will have a first/partial draft of a short story or longer piece.

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

12–14 | 33


new! WoRlD BUilDing anD BRainstoRMing YoUR sCi-Fi/FantasY stoRY | KRISTIn FITZSIMMOnSOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Sci-Fi and Fantasy is all about building worlds for characters to live in. This class will be all about the planning stage of writing a sci-fi/fantasy story. You’ll create characters, lands, languages and more—the possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Exercises will include elements of illustration such as drawing characters and/or maps for reference. By the end of class, students will have a collection of helpful notes and illustrations and potentially the beginning of a short story or longer piece.

WRiting song lYRiCs (ages 12–14) | Ben COnneLLYOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class for non-musicians and musicians, we’ll take an interactive and improvisational approach to writing song lyrics. We’ll write in groups and individually, study how form and poetic technique affect the way a song feels, and learn methods for opening up and completing a creative process. Students should expect to write at least one complete song lyric during the class.

teen WRiteRs’ Boot CaMP | TInA LAUReL LeeOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 1–4:15 p.m.Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Enjoy the camaraderie of the group write and the mental exertion of writing wind sprints in this exercise class. The workouts will have you generating words across the genres as we write Natalie Goldberg-style, using prompts from a myriad of sources. Neil Gaiman will cheer from YouTube. TED Talks will inspire new ways for the words to find you. Let your favorite character make an appearance as we try our hand at fanfic. Go wherever your personal writing interests lead and expand the word count of individual projects be they poetry, fiction, or nonfiction. Bring your favorite pen and an ordinary notebook.

34

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

12–

14


new! BUilDing a stoRY FRoM sCRatCH | ISABeL HARDInGOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Have a great idea for a story, but don’t know where to start? In this class, we’ll figure out the elements of building a story from the ground up, focusing each day on another element of writing fiction, such as dialogue, character, setting, and conflict. We’ll experiment with writing exercises, prompts, and peer review, crafting a story 500 words at a time. With feedback from your classmates and teaching artist, you’ll learn what works in storytelling, what really captures a reader’s attention, and how to discover and develop your own particular style. By the end of class, you will have completed 10-15 pages that combine all the essential elements of a well-crafted short story.

new! RoCK tHe genRes: a saMPleR oF FiCtion, CReative nonFiCtion & PoetRY (ages 12–14) | GAIL MILSTeInOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 2:45–4:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Many creative writers write in more than one genre. J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins, for instance, have written poetry in addition to their blockbusting fiction series. Why limit yourself to one genre when you can develop a taste for all three of the main genres: fiction, creative nonfiction (including memoir and personal essay), and poetry? Fiction teaches us about plot, setting, and character, including dialogue and point-of-view. Creative nonfiction encourages us to develop our voice, work with memory and imagination, and write from our own truth. Poetry allows us to develop our relationship with language and form, image and meta-phor, and to add a lyric quality to our writing. Learn some of the basics, then try your hand at each in class. We’ll share what we create with each other as you are comfortable. You’ll be amazed when you discover you have a flair for a form of writing you haven’t even tried yet!

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

12–14 | 35


new! leaRn to lie…anD not get gRoUnDeD | LISA M. BOLT SIMOnSOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

What? Learn to lie?! But, of course, this is exactly what you need to do in order to convince your readers you’re telling the truth! Whether your book is about firefighters, werewolves, or talking animals, you must cre-ate verisimilitude, or the appearance of being real or true, to keep your readers engaged. In this class, we’ll practice lying, using both “real” lies and “out-of-this-world” lies. We’ll also practice using details and elabora-tion in order to make your fiction stronger. Be prepared to share your lies with others—without the risk of being grounded—so that you can better the art of verisimilitude in your current work or in a new project.

a CHaRaCteR BUilDing eXPeRienCe | JOAn LInCKOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Sure, words sit on a page, but characters who do that, and classes where you have to do that all day, are boring. If that’s not what you want your characters or yourself to do, then come along as we learn how to build a character that grabs a reader and pulls them through the story. Of course we’ll write, but we’ll also do lots of activities that give us insight into what makes a character come to life. Whether your main character is meeting his or her first love or battling space aliens, he or she will engage your reader from start to finish. During the week you can create original characters and short stories or develop work you’ve already begun.

new! WelCoMe YoUR WoRDs: KeePing a WRiteR’s noteBooK | SUSAn MARIe SWAnSOnOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Naomi Shihab Nye once wrote, “Get in the habit of welcoming your own words, however slowly or quickly they come to you.” She encourages everyone to write regularly in a notebook, for fun and for discovery: “Your thinking will befriend you. Words will befriend you.” In this class, we’ll experiment with many different ways to write in a writer’s note-book, with inspiration from the work of the author, poet, and anthologist Naomi Shihab Nye. We’ll notice. We’ll remember. We’ll make time and space to write about ourselves and others, about our communities, and about our imaginations. We will explore how the patterns, subjects, and voices in books can help us welcome new words of our own.

36

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

12–

14


new! inteRaCtive FiCtion anD gaMe Design WitH tHe CHoosatRon | JeRRY BeLICHOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 1–3 p.m. | Reg $250 (no discount pricing available)

What if you’re not interested in a story moving one direction like a train stuck on it’s tracks? You begin providing choices to your readers, letting them choose their own adventure! In this class, we will start by exploring the history of interac-tive fiction through the lenses of creative writing and game design. Students will learn how to create their own interac-tive stories. With their classmates as players, they will receive immediate feedback to improve and expand their work. To play their stories, students will build a Choosatron miniature arcade machine invented by the teaching artist, which they’ll get to take home, along with their interactive story. Students will be using cross-platform writing soft-ware in this class and must bring a mac/windows compat-ible laptop every day in order to participate. For information about the Choosatron, check out www.choosatron.com.Note: Registration for this class must happen before July 1, 2013 in order for the teaching artist to be able to order parts and pre-assemble the Choosatron kits for students. The additional cost of this class covers all building materials needed to construct the Choosatron. Due to the special additional materials needed for the class, no discounts are available, however, full scholarships are available for those who qualify. Please contact the Young Writers’ Program Manager, Jennifer Dodgson, for more information at 612-215-2579.

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

9–11 | 37


CLASSES fOR YOUTH Ages 9–11Do YoU Want to Be a WRiteR? | PeTeR BLAUOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Writers create magic with words and spin stories from their imagina-tions. In this class, you will be writers. You will write, read, share, and write some more as you learn how to make writing exciting and fun. The teaching artist will help by giving you prompts and exercises to stretch your creativity and unlock your imaginations. In this class, you’ll discover how to turn your words into stories and poems. Bring your best ideas, turn them loose on the page, and let your writing surprise you.

new! tHe CReative WRiting KiD | KATIe KUnZOne-Week Class | June 17–21 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Are you a kid who enjoys using your imagination? Perhaps you like to exaggerate? Tell tall tales? Maybe you want to learn the power behind selecting the best words and details to write true or made-up stories? In this class, we will learn how using our five senses and super strong, exact words in writing can create a tone that any reader or listener can’t help but feel. We will start with writing sketches about our birthdays, vacations, animals, special places, and a very scary time. Then the sky is the limit as you choose one piece to revise and share with an audience. All you need is a notebook and a pencil. Come on, join us!

get a ClUe! WRiting MYsteRies | TRishA sPeeD shAskAnTwo-Week Class | July 15–26 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $247.50; Mem $222.75; Low $173.25

Set up a crime scene! Discover clues! Track down a trail of footprints; or are they hoof prints? You will use props and read stories to inspire your writing. You’ll learn the vocabulary of mystery writing from clues to red herrings, but will also explore elements of craft from character to plot. And you’ll write your very own kind of mystery—scary, funny, fantasti-cal, or completely puzzling.

38

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

9–1

1


full-day camp! loFt CaMP: stoRY WRiting anD illUstRating YoUR oWn CoMiC | TInA LAUReL Lee, TRISHA SPeeD SHASKAn, AnD STePHen SHASKAn

One-Week Camp | July 8–12 | 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Reg $480.00; Mem $432.00; Low $336.00

MoRning: stoRY WRiting FUnCaMP

This exercise class will leave your imagination panting for more. We’ll generate words across the genres as we write Natalie Goldberg-style, using our favorite stories and authors (among other things) as inspiration. We will try our hand at fanfic and make our own movie/book spoof. We’ll follow our imagination to discover how writer’s stories are uniquely theirs. Experience the exhilaration of writing without expectation of outcome, but expect to have a blast!

suPervised LuNCh: In the park or inside playing games if inclement weather. Bring a bag lunch from home and an afternoon snack; the Loft will provide morning snack.

aFteRnoon: aRt Panels anD sPeeCH BUBBles: WRiting anD illUstRating YoUR oWn CoMiC

Have you ever drawn an action scene with stink lines? Or hearts? Do you know what a splash page is? Take this class to draw—and to find out! You will learn to develop characters, draw thumbnail sketches, lay out panels, and plot a story. You’ll be inspired by graphic novel series such as the Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka and Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm for inspiration. You’ll create a black-and-white graphic novel by week’s end.

CReative Collage: WRiting anD visUal aRt | KRISTIn FITZSIMMOnSOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we’ll combine visual art and writing in several forms of collage including visual journaling, erasure poetry, and illustration. The teaching artist will provide collage material, but students will be encour-aged to collect and bring in things to personalize their collages.

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

9–11 | 39


giRls WRite WHat MatteRs | KATe ST. vInCenT vOGLOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 2:45–4:15 p.m. Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Do you make up stories with your friends? Or maybe you have an idea for a story that you’re dying to share but you don’t know if it’s any good? If you love to write, this class is made for you. In class, we’ll learn how to make characters on the page seem as real as they are in your head. We’ll do in-class writ-ing exercises and we’ll play games to show what matters most in our writing. With this

class, you’ll learn how to strengthen your story and explore your charac-ters—and you’ll learn how to best show what matters in your writing.

new! RoCK tHe genRes: a saMPleR oF FiCtion, CReative nonFiCtion, & PoetRY (ages 9–11) | GAIL MILSTeInOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Many creative writers write in more than one genre. J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins, for instance, have written poetry in addition to their fiction series. Why limit yourself when you can develop a taste for all three of the main genres: fiction, creative nonfiction (including memoir and personal essay), and poetry? Fiction teaches us about plot, setting, and character, including dialogue and point-of-view. Creative nonfiction encourages us to develop our voice, work with memory and imagination, and write from our own truth. Poetry allows us to develop our relation-ship with language and form, and to add a lyric quality to our writing. Come sample from all three of the main creative writing genres. You may have a flair for a form of writing you haven’t even tried yet!

new! tastY soUP! getting a stoRY ReaDY to PUBlisH | ISABeL HARDInGOne-Week Class | July 15–19 | 2:45–4:15 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Stone Soup magazine has been publishing work by young authors since 1973. Using Stone Soup as a model, we’ll learn all about writing stories and getting them ready for print. With the right mixture of ingredients (including strong characters, dialogue, setting, and conflict), you can really get that soup boiling! We’ll complete a combination of writing exercises, prompts, and peer review in class. On the first day of class, come in with an idea for a story (in writing), or the first 2–3 pages if you’ve already started working on it, and we’ll go from there.

40

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

9–1

1


WRiting song lYRiCs (ages 9–11) | Ben COnneLLYOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 1–2:30 p.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class for non-musicians and musicians, we’ll take an interactive and improvisational approach to the art and craft of song lyric writ-ing. We’ll write in groups and individually, study how form and poetic technique affect the way a song feels, and learn methods for opening up and completing a creative process. Students should expect to write at least one complete song lyric during the class.

MaKing FiCtion MagiCal | MARIOn GOMeZ & CARY YAnGOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Did you know that poems were invented to tell stories? The story’s origins are oral; rhythm and rhyme were used in epic tales as memory aids. Today’s great fiction writers still use poetic elements to make their writing come to life. We’ll read and practice how writers use poetic elements such as sensory images, similes, dramatic monologues, sound, and rhythm to create their fictional worlds and give their characters voice. Students will have access to one-on-one conferences and a collabo-rative teaching environment. Students’ work will then be compiled into an anthology they can show the world, or just their closest friends.

new! WRiting tHe FantasY WoRlD | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, we’ll learn how important geography is to our stories by building fantasy worlds. We’ll draw maps of the places our characters inhabit, with special attention given to geographical features such as waterways, mountains, and even planetary bodies that can be incorporated into our stories. We’ll talk about the common-sense rules of writing place-based fiction (ranging from the basic laws of science to the physical limita-tions of characters), and how to step

outside those rules to make our stories even more interesting. We’ll look at classic examples of place-based fiction, from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series to Jules Feiffer’s The Phantom Tollbooth to the DragonLance, Game of Thrones, and Raggedy Ann & Andy series.

cLA

sses For Yo

UtH

| AG

ES

9–11 | 41


new! sHaggY Dogs, Big FisH, anD oUtRigHt WHoPPeRs | KURTIS SCALeTTA & KARLYn COLeMAnOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 1–2:30 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Be ready to tell the tallest tales, spin the woolliest yarns, and tell the most ridiculous fibs of all time, because this class is all about wild, make-em-up-as-you-go stories that are meant to be told aloud. We’ll look at various kinds of tall tales as well as the techniques storytellers use, such as exaggeration, simile, and metaphor, and incorporate them into our own tall tales, urban legends, and campfire stories.

new! ReCiPes FoR eXCiting WRiting | LInDA BACK MCKAYOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Welcome to the delicious world of poetry! During this fun and results-filled class, we will use a variety of specially concocted “recipes” to whip up a batch of exciting poems. Some of these recipes include writing to a painting or another piece of art, list poems, fill-in-the-blanks poems, superhero poems, fairy tale poems, group poems, and the often surpris-ing “poetry salad.” We’ll learn and discuss the same writing tools that professional poets use and will work on effective ways to perform and present our work to an audience.

Beginning PlaYWRiting | JOAn LInCKOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Does the movie version of what you are writing play out in your head as you put words on paper? Do you long to see your characters come to life? They can when you write a play. This class will explore storytell-ing through playwriting. We’ll read from published plays, discuss how theatrical elements such as music, lights, and props help tell the story, explore character development, and try our hand at writing short scenes. By week’s end you will have a scene ready for your fellow playwrights to read and act out in class. Places! Cue the music. It’s time to sit back and enjoy the show.

42

| c

LAss

es F

or

YoU

tH |

AG

ES

9–1

1


new! FRaCtUReD FaiRY tale toY tHeateR WitH HotB (ages 9–11) | LInDA BACK MCKAYOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 1–3 p.m. | Reg $175.00; Mem $157.50; Low $122.50

Note: This class takes place at In the Heart of the Beast Theatere on Lake Street (1500 East Lake St., Minneapolis, MN 55407); it does NOT take place at the Loft. The cost of this class covers all art materials needed.

Bring your imagination and all your wild ideas. It’s a brand new collaboration between the Loft and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre. We will learn some of the tools that professional poets use and then we will rewrite history by creating our own group poem that “fractures” a well known fairy tale. We’ll design a small toy theatre stage, make 2D puppets, and bring the poem to life through our own inge-nuity and the techniques that we’ll learn from In the Heart of the Beast teaching artists. At the end, we’ll celebrate our accomplishments with a special performance.

FaiRY tales anD MYtHs: WRite YoUR oWn stoRY | MARIe OLOFSDOTTeROne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

We will explore the timeless territory of fairy tales and myths. Students will record the hair-raising adventures of a main character, the hero, who sets out on a magical journey to save a troubled kingdom and encounters a myriad of animals, villains, and mystical beings in the process. Students will invent their own settings, characters, and plots.

new! WRiting WitH PiPPi | SUSAn MARIe SWAnSOnOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

With inspiration from the remarkable Pippi Longstocking, we’ll invent our own remarkable characters and tell stories about them. Like Pippi, our characters will have intriguing names and pets and adventures—and they’ll be made out of words! We’ll read from Astrid Lindgren’s stories about Pippi, and we’ll learn about how the author first told Pippi stories to her daughter and later wrote them down. Like her strong, funny, red-haired character, Astrid Lindgren lived on the edge of a tiny little town. What will you and your amazing character have in common?

c

LAsses Fo

r KiD

s | AG

ES

6–8 | 43


CLASSES fOR KIDS Ages 6–8

Use YoUR iMagination (seCtion 1) | nAnCY CARLSOnOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

This is a class for kids who love to draw and write! We’ll create charac-ters, get to know them, put them in original stories, and use artwork and the written word to bring them to life! Come learn from an author who has already published over 60 books, and knows her characters (and imagination!)

new! stoRies aBoUt Pets | HOLLY DAYOne-Week Class | June 24–28 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class for early writers, we’ll read stories about companion animals as a group, then work on writing and sharing stories about our own pets, both real and imaginary. Basic short story structure will be discussed, with an emphasis on the joy of storytelling and how to convey each child’s love and fascination with animals.

BeHolD tHe senses! | LISA M. BOLT SIMOnSOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

The ability to describe touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste are vital parts of making any written work come alive. In this hands-on class for young writers, we’ll discover each sense in detail and write about them. After we jumpstart our senses and pencils, we’ll use all of the senses in a piece of writing—a short story, a poem, or an essay—that the young writers create. (Not recommended for children with aller-gies.) Please bring a set of primary colored pencils, a pencil or two, and paper/a notebook.

44

| c

LAss

es F

or

KiD

s | A

GE

S 6

–8


sUPeRHeRoes! MaKe anD staR in YoUR oWn CoMiC | KRISTIn FITZSIMMOnSOne-Week Class | July 22–26 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, you’ll get to help write, illustrate, and star in a comic book! Each student will design a character for him/herself, help with writing the story, and finally illus-trate the book by dressing up and acting out scenes. Each student will receive a final copy of the book which includes the story and photograph illustrations.

Use YoUR iMagination (seCtion 2) | nAnCY CARLSOnOne-Week Class | July 29–Aug 2 | 9–10:30 a.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

This is a class for kids who love to draw and write! We’ll create characters, get to know them, put them in original stories, and use artwork and the written word to bring them to life! Come learn from an author who has already published more than 60 books, and knows her characters (and imagination!)

new! WoRD gaMes | JAne SneLL COPeSOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 9–10:30 a.m. Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Writing a story, a poem, or a scene in a play is a word game. You gather your thoughts and arrange some words and read it out loud and make some changes. In this class, we will use games like Bananagrams, Pictionary, and Charades to inspire our writing. We’ll write acrostic poems and six-word stories. We’ll try out Story Cubes and make a set for each person. We’ll see how words work in crossword puzzles and word finds. Come to play and write with us!

c

LAsses Fo

r KiD

s | AG

ES

6–8 | 45

new! sUess anD silveRstein’s silliness | JAne SneLL COPeSOne-Week Class | August 5–9 | 10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

Rhythm and rhyme and silliness make books by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein favorites from the first time you hear them. Let’s use their techniques to write some silliness of our own. We’ll walk and clap the rhythms. Then we’ll learn about and write limericks and other short poem forms. We’ll invent and illustrate poems that feature new incred-ible creatures and seriously silly situations. Who knows? Maybe a Dactyl or an Iamb will come to visit!

new! CalDeCott CoMMotion | SUSAn MARIe SWAnSOnOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 9–10:30 a.m. | Reg $123.75; Mem $111.38; Low $86.63

In this class, you’ll travel to a faraway island, fly over your neighborhood, make animal friends, and capture good memories. All week we’ll sur-round ourselves with books that have gold and silver Caldecott stickers on their covers, including Where the Wild Things Are, Tar Beach, Officer Buckle and Gloria, and The Hello Goodbye Window—and many more. We will brainstorm and write and draw and dramatize! There will be time for both commotion and quiet work with the author of a Caldecott medal-winner, The House in the Night.

new! FRaCtUReD FaiRY tale toY tHeateR WitH HotB (ages 6–8) | LInDA BACK MCKAYOne-Week Class | August 12–16 | 10:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m.Reg $175.00; Mem $157.50; Low $122.50

Note: The cost of this class includes all puppet, toy theater, and poetry making materials. This section takes place at the Loft.

This collaboration between the Loft and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theatre is a great opportunity for kids to write, play, and imagine! Together, we will learn about poetry and write our own strange and wonderful fairy tale poem. Then we will split into groups to design and build a small toy theater stage and make 2D puppets, using the skills learned from In the Heart of the Beast Theatre teaching artists. Then, our own ideas will bring the poem to life on stage! At the end of the class we’ll celebrate with a special performance for family and friends.

46

| te

en c

on

Fere

nc

e

Coming This Fall

Teen Writing

ConferenceOct 17, 2013

this conference will be free, but registration is required. sign up for the Loft enewsletter to be notified when registration opens: http://bit.ly/VORkau

First PA

ges/Yo

UtH

bLog

| 47

The Loft, in collaboration with Hennepin County Libraries, offers free creative writing programming for children, teens, and adults in Hennepin County libraries! Creative writing “labs” called First Pages allow students to try their hand at different writing genres for free! Classes have included A Kids Guide to Writing Short Stories, Creating Magical Worlds, I Want to Be an Author, novel Writing for Teens, and so much more! Registration is managed through the Hennepin County Library website: www.hclib.org.

The Loft’s First Pages Brings Free Creative Writing Classes to a Library Near You!

Young Writers @ Loft

every summer the Loft’s blog for teen writers comes alive. The blog helps connect summer students to each other and shares the great work that happens each summer. To see and read more, please visit loftteenwriting.wordpress.com. note: Please keep in mind that we strive to provide a welcoming, supportive, and uncen-sored environment for young writers to explore their creative writing talent. Some content generated in Loft classes by older writers may not be appropriate for younger writers and readers. Please keep this in mind when visiting this blog with your younger children, and when clicking through to read the work of young writers from our teen classes.

48

| te

Ac

Hin

g A

rtis

ts

Teaching artist bios are shortened here. Full Bios are listed at loft.org.

sUMMer YoUtH teAcHing Artistslogan Adams’ fiction has appeared in Paper Darts, Inkwell, and Ninth Letter, and has been a finalist for contests held by Glimmer Train and the Cincinnati Review. His music writing has appeared on The Rumpus. He is the senior editor for the music blog created by THe GARAGe—a youth center and all-ages venue in Burnsville, Mn.

Jeanne Bain has helped young people tell their stories in alternative schools, the juvenile justice system, hospice programs, and in rural, suburban, and urban schools. As a writer, she explores the dark side through urban fantasy, gothic stories, and blogging.

Jerry Belich is a professional programmer of over ten years who has spent the other half of his time pursuing various creative projects. He’s continued to be active in videography, live theater, and game design. His experiments with interactive fiction has crossed into most genres of his creative work.

Peter Blau teaches adults and children in a variety of venues, and is a recipient of an award from Mpls/St Paul Magazine for his work at a women’s correctional facility. His primary goal is to make writing approach-able to all his students.

Sally Borgen loves teaching and the opportunity to encourage adults and young people to let the words roll from your head, down your arm, and onto the paper. She has worked for Minneapolis Public Schools for many years as a librarian, technologist, administrator, and writing teacher and is now retired.

Nina Bricko has taught environmental education to preschoolers through adults for the past ten years. While working as the education coordinator at the Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary in Prescott, AZ, she coordinated many different experiential education programs for many ages.

Nancy Carlson has been writing and illustrating for children for over 30 years and has published 61 books. nancy is a guest author in schools and libraries all over the country; she has even spoken at schools in Saudi Arabia! She also teaches at Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Karlyn Coleman is a certified english teacher. She has taught for seven years in both private and public schools. She is a winner of the 2009–10 Loft Mentor Series in fiction. Her work has been published in Revolver, McSweeney’s Internet Tendencies, and Paper Darts. She is working on her first young adult novel and often she types to the vertigo sound track.

Ben Connelly is a singer-songwriter, multi-instru-mentalist, producer, and educator with ten years of teaching experience and seven CDs of songs. His songs have been internationally released and featured on commercial, public, and college radio nationwide, as well as in films and on television.

Jane Snell Copes is a writer and scientist, a teacher and inventor. She has written directions and explanations for Science Museum of Minnesota exhibits, a project book called Let’s Try It. .. and See What Happens!, and articles about the science in the Harry Potter series. She is the owner of Science Outside the Box, a tiny company that brings science fun to you.

Patricia Cumbie‘s short stories and essays for teens and adults have been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She is the author of the young adult novel Where People Like Us Live.

rhea Davison-Edwards is in her third year of an MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Having taught freshman composition at the college level, she knows what skills admissions committees are looking to see in application essays.

Holly Day has worked as a freelance writer, indexer, and editor for more than 20 years, with over 7,000 published articles, poems, and short stories and 10 published books. She has indexed over 200 books for more than 50 publishers internationally, including Boys Town Press, Sage/Corwin Press, quay Publications, and Minnesota Historical Press.

Becky Zosia Dernbach has spent two years substitute teaching in the Minneapolis Public Schools, including long stints teaching Spanish, Latin, chemistry, and third grade. Becky is the author of the recently published Fannie and Freddie, a rhym-ing picture book about the housing crisis, as well as a blog about her misadventures substitute teaching.

John fenner is an acclaimed songwriter and unac-claimed screenwriter. He is an experienced public speaker, solo father of three exceptional musicians, and host of a popular, eclectic live variety show. He has worked with teens at the Mixed Blood Theatre and as a mentor at a Menninger Youth group home.

Kristin fitzsimmons worked as an AmeriCorps vol-unteer in a family literacy program in Chicago before coming to Minneapolis. Kristin has taught english to middle school students in France and worked on a nature preserve as a guide for school groups.

Amy fladeboe has worked with youth at 826 valencia, a San Francisco-based non-profit writing support center, has taught creative writing at The University of vlora in Albania in the Peace Corps, and is an MFA candidate at Minnesota State University-Mankato, where she also teaches creative writing.

Jennifer fossenbell is a teacher of english language and literature. She has worked with high school students in Denver and with teens and adults in Ukraine and vietnam. Her poems, co-translations, and articles have appeared in print and online publications in the U.S. and vietnam. She is co-editor in chief of dislocate magazine.

teA

cH

ing

Artists | 49


Dawn frederick is the owner & literary agent of Red Sofa Literary, established in 2008. Dawn’s previous experience reflects a broad knowledge of the book business, with over a decade of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores, an editor for a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency.

Christine friedlander is a poet and intermedia artist living in Minneapolis. She has taught creative writing classes for youth as a part of River edge Public School’s summer enrichment program in new Jersey, and was awarded the new Jersey Governor’s Award for Arts education in Playwriting in 2005.

Marion gomez has served as an AmeriCorps vista volunteer for America Reads, tutoring elementary school children, was a recipient of a Mn State Arts Board Cultural Community Partnership grant to mentor immigrant and Latino youth in poetry, and has organized youth poetry and spoken word events.

rose Hansen is an MFA Candidate at the University of Minnesota with a concentration in fiction. Her long-form project is a novel set in Alaska and explores the deconstruction of narrative in the face of trauma. Her work has appeared in numerous publications.

Isabel Harding has taught creative writing workshops for elementary- and middle-school students and worked as a camp counselor at an arts center for many summers. In the summer of 2012, she was awarded a two-week residency at the Anderson Center in Red Wing, Minnesota, where she conducted a writing workshop with teenagers as her community outreach project.

Jessica Harman is an author who writes autobiogra-phies, poetry, sudden fiction, and essays. Her poetry has appeared in a wide variety of journals. Her essays on literature and writing, as well as her artwork, have appeared in publications in the U.K, Canada, and the United States..

luke Hawley has spent the last 15 years writing songs. In addition to songwriting, he spends a good chunk of his time teaching at the college level, though he also has a BA in Secondary english education as well. His first book, The Northwoods Hymnal, a collection of short stories with accompa-nying songs, is due out in March on Grey Sparrow Press.

Melody l. Heide is a writer based in Minnesota. Her nonfiction has appeared in the Blue Lake Review and Switchback Magazine. While at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Melody volunteered to teach creative writing at a local high school..

Brenda Hudson started writing as a child, writing letters in her journal, expressing thoughts and asking questions that couldn’t come across any other way. Those notes and letters began to shape her into adulthood. She now works as a teacher, editor, and writer.

Kyle Jaeger served as an au pair in Switzerland, worked with impoverished youth in Mexico, taught theater workshops to youth in Honduras, and worked with youth in Tennessee and Minnesota. Presently he also works with kids at the YWCA of Minneapolis, tutors second language learners from Somalia, and writes for a local magazine.

Jake Klisivitch is a freelance editor and writer with 20 years of experience at such publishers as Scribner, Penguin, and Random House. He has taught publish-ing seminars at the University of Pennsylvania, the Columbia Publishing Course (of which he is a gradu-ate) and the University of Windsor. He is currently the editor-at-Large at UK publisher Shire Books.

Katie Kunz has worked with students of all ages. She has worked developing a writing project based grammar class for teens, creating a community edu-cation, creative writing class for upper elementary age kids, and teaching at an alternative high school in Brooklyn, new York. She just completed her first novel for middle grade readers.

tina laurel lee has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota and has been teaching since 1999. She currently leads writing bootcamps for youth and adults alike from her home studio, where students practice hard and have fun. She has completed one young adult novel and has a couple middle grades on the way.

Joan linck started her career in the technology field. She now writes for a number of arts-related nonprofits but has the most fun writing plays (and working backstage) for middle schools, writing fiction and nonfiction for elementary and middle school students, and helping students find their inner writer.

Kelly Hansen Maher teaches creative writing as a student instructor at Hamline, and teaches poetry with the Minnesota Prison Writers Workshop. Her poems have been published online and in various literary journals, and she is at work on her first full-length collection of poems.

linda Back McKay is a Minneapolis poet, writer, and teaching artist. Her work has appeared in many literary publications. She has published three collections of poetry and her groundbreaking book, Shadow Mothers: Stories of Adoption and Reunion, was inspiration for the play Watermelon Hill. A motorcycle-related memoir is forthcoming in 2013.

Carrie Mesrobian has worked as a teacher in both public and private schools; her work has appeared in the Star Tribune, Brain, Child magazine, Calyx, and other web and print publications. Her debut YA novel will be published in 2013 by Carolrhoda LAB.

gail Milstein has taught a kids journal-writing work-shop at the Loft, creative writing in a homeschool program, and (on the other end of the age spectrum) worked for years with groups of senior citizens helping them write their life stories, through her own business, Get Lit!

50

| t

eAc

Hin

g A

rtis

ts


lyda Morehouse is an award-winning author of multiple science fiction books. She also writes para-normal romance as Tate Hallaway. She’s currently working on a new adult series for Tate that began with Precinct 13. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous publications.

Marie olofsdotter is an interdisciplinary artist and writer. She has written and illustrated several chil-dren’s books and is the recipient of a Mid-America Publishers Award and a Midwest Book Achievement Award. Other awards include a Minnesota Book Award, and grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Jerome Foundation.

Anthony rosso will receive his MFA in creative writ-ing from Minnesota State University in Mankato this spring. There he has taught freshman composition and currently teaches an introduction to creative writing course.

Kathryn Savage’s writing has appeared in The Star Tribune, Ploughshares, The Village Voice, City Pages, and Twin Cities METRO magazine. She has worked with Intermedia Arts teaching adolescent creative writing courses as a SASe Wings Writing Mentor and founding member of Young Writers, a bimonthly writing program for teens.

Kurtis Scaletta is the author of Mudville, which was short-listed for the Mark Twain Readers Award; Mamba Point, which received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, and The Tanglewood Terror, a Junior Library Guild selection, Indie next pick, and winner of the Minnesota Book Award’s Reader’s Choice. In addition to writing and teaching he manages the online education program for the Loft.

Stephen Shaskan teaches art classes to children for the Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul Academy’s Artward Bound program, and at an after-school program for Minneapolis Public Schools. He works as a children’s book author and illustrator, and as an early childhood educator at the Seward Child Care Center, where his musical talents have brought him rock star status among the children.

trisha Speed Shaskan has written over 40 books for children. Trisha is a literacy coordinator for an after-school program, tutoring elementary students in reading. Trisha has taught creative writing to children in settings, including Saint Paul Academy’s Artward Bound Summer program and an after-school program for Minneapolis Public Schools.

Aamera Siddiqui has been a professional actor in the Twin Cities for 17 years. She is a two-time recipient of the Playwrights’ Center’s Many voices Fellowship. She has written 2 full-length plays: CHUP and American as Curry Pie. Her newest piece, cur-rently titled Chisel, was first read as part of the U.S.-Based Artist Showcase at the Women Playwrights’ International Conference in Mumbai, India.

Jenny Simmonds is the program director at Youth Grief Services, a nonprofit program that supports grieving children, youth, and families. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of

Minnesota in the Youth Studies Department. She has written two books, Children in Change and Keep the Peace.

lisa Bolt Simons has been a licensed teacher for over 17 years, working with students ages 5 to 70. She has taught adult basic education and high school english but has worked as an elementary english as a Second Language (eSL) teacher for the last eight-plus years. Her publications include four nonfiction children’s books and various articles in journals and magazines, including Minnesota Parent and Minnesota Monthly.

Emily Sohn moved to the Twin Cities in 2001 to join a globetrotting expedition team called the quests. Along with a multimedia production crew, she filed reports, videos, and images from remote locations that included the Peruvian Amazon, Turkey, and Cuba. Hundreds of thousands of students in classrooms around the world followed the team’s adventures online and helped direct their trips.

tom Spence is a youth programs instructor at Minnesota Center for Book Arts as well as a freelance illustrator. He graduated from the College of visual Arts in 2005 with a BFA in Illustration. He has produced his own mini-comics since then and is currently at work on a full-length graphic novel.

lennon Sundance is a published nonfiction writer, performer, and obsessive observer. She is wildly pursuing her MFA in Creative nonfiction at Hamline University. valedictorian of St. Catherine University in 2006 and decorated writer and scholar, she con-tinues to chase her childhood dream of scribbling in notebooks late into the night.

Susan Marie Swanson’s books include The First Thing My Mama Told Me, a new York Times Best Illustrated Book and Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book; and The House in the Night, winner of the Minnesota Book Award and the Caldecott Medal. She has a teaching license and writes in her notebook every morning before breakfast.

Carissa Jean tobin ts a first grade teacher in a bilingual program in Minneapolis. This is her fifth summer teaching youth at the Loft. She aims to create an exploratory environment where students express their creativity through writing and gain confidence in their work by sharing it with others.

Kate St. Vincent Vogl is the author of Lost & Found: A Memoir of Mothers and has recently completed a young adult novel. Three of her short stories from her Infidels collection have garnered honors in international competitions, and she was named a finalist for the new Letters Prize in essay.

Cary Yang is a veteran classroom teacher of the Twin Cities area. She has worked in primary and intermediate grades for the past ten years. Her interest in writing was sparked in her first years of teaching with Saint Paul Public Schools and doing intense training for two years centered on writers’ workshops.

funders

The Loft’s Young Writer’s Program is supported by the generous contributions of Loft members and by Best Buy Children’s Foundation, William Randolph Hearst Foundation, Jostens Foundation, national endowment for the Arts, and Target Foundation.

Accessibility

The Loft Literary Center strives to be accessible to all, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, veteran status, economic status, sex, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, or disability. As possible, we will remove barriers to participation in our programs to persons with disabilities.

Our Open Book location is physically accessible, including designated disability parking by the back door, touch-operated building entrances, accessible gender-neutral bathrooms, elevators to all floors, and wheelchair-accessible seating. We ask your help in reducing synthetic fragrances in classes by refraining from wearing scented products here. You are welcome to bring an interpreter or personal attendant to class, as well as a service animal; please give us notice. Upon request, we will provide class catalogs available in alternate formats such as large print or CD.

To arrange for accessibility accommodation, please contact the education Administrator at 612-379-8999 three weeks in advance. Accessibility services are partly supported by the Rachel vaughan Memorial Fund.

tHE

loft

lIt

ErA

rY C

ENtE

r

Suite

200

, Ope

n Bo

ok

1011

Was

hing

ton

Aven

ue S

outh

Min

neap

olis

, Mn

554

15

Non

–Pro

fit O

rgan

izat

ion

US P

osta

gePAID

TWIN

CIT

IES,

MN

Perm

it 15

33

Su

mm

er A

du

lt W

riti

ng

Cla

sses

Isn’

t It T

ime

You

Took

One

Too

?

Sum

mer

adu

lt cl

asse

sav

aila

ble

at w

ww

.loft

.org

Loft's Young Writers' Program

Documents

Transcript of Loft's Young Writers' Program