Winter 2011 Catalog

A Center for the Literary Arts 7924 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118 267-331-9552 www.musehousecenter.com

Dear Friends,

What an auspicious beginning we’ve had here at Musehouse! In September we had a Grand Opening Reception with over 100 guests and the momentum has continued. Ever since then we’ve offered readings of poetry, short stories, young adult lit, memoir and novels and for many of them have had standing-room only crowds. How lucky we are that the community has been so welcoming. We continue our special events into the Winter sea son, all of them free and open to the public, featuring a gamut of writers and books ranging from Cynthia Kreilick’s Gingerbread Gift, a bilingual storybook for the holiday season, to Brian Francis’ spine-chiller, The Trail, to our All But True Fiction writers, chosen by Doug Gordon. And of course, we are starting a new season of workshops in order to help local writers hone their craft. We’re repeating some of the favorites, like the memoir writing class and Leonard Gontarek’s poetry class. You’ll find some new selections too, including a Grief and Loss writing workshop and a new book club for teens. Our SAT tutor is available and ready to help your student im-prove his or her verbal test scores. Look for a television piece featuring the Musehouse on WHYY’s “Friday Arts” produced by Karen Smyles. It will run in the Spring 2012 — in the meantime they’ve been doing a lot of filming ‘round here …. Happy writing and reading to all! Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Director

Board of Directors President: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Secretary: Joanne Leva Treasurer: Teresa Leo Legal Counsel: Dennis J. Brennan Director of Marketing and Development: Kate Mallow Program Coordinator: Susan Agar Graphic Designer: A2P Web Design, Eric Medlin

Our Mission is to provide a home for writers of varying

ages and levels of experience in poetry, fiction, non-

fiction, memoir, and scriptwriting through workshops,

conferences, readings and special events.

Table of Contents SPECIAL EVENTS, WINTER 2012 POEM OF HOPE POSTER CONTEST POETRY WORKSHOPS The Self & Place in PoetryAdvanced Poetry WorkshopBeginning & Intermediate WorkshopMusehouse Poetry SeminarMusehouse Meets the Museum STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS Storytelling for Beginners MEMOIR WORKSHOPS Writing the Stories of Our LivesMaking It Happen: Your Memoir ProjectGrief and Loss WritingSummoning the PastRecipes & Family Stories FICTION WORKSHOPS The Craft of Fiction SCRIPTWRITING Short Screenplay Writing THURSDAY NIGHT BOOK CLUBS African-American Women Writers Book Club Jane Austen Book Club KID AND TEEN WORKSHOPS Book RantsTeen Lit Magazine/ PS JuniorEkphrastic Writing SAT TUTORING HOW TO BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBERHOW TO REGISTER FOR A WORKSHOPREGISTRATION FORM

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Musehouse

Winter 2011

December 1, 2011 (Thursday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission Philadelpha Writers Conference Free Forum Reading by Yolanda Wisher The Montgomery County Poet Laureate of 1999 will read her work. Her creative writing students will also share some of their works. December 2, 2011 (Friday), 6:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m. Fee: $40 Memoir Workshop by Susan Balee: Summoning the Past We carry our memories with us for as long as we live, even if we think we’ve forgotten them. This one-evening workshop seeks to bring those memories to the forefront through a variety of writing exercises. See page 16 for details. December 3, 2011 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free admission. Philadelphia Writers Free Forum Montgomery County Poet Laureates’ Reunion To celebrate the 14th year of the MCPL program, all of the past poets laureate are invited to participate in a retrospective poetry reading and Q&A panel discussion in honor of the program's commitment to preserve and promote arts and culture through community-based opportunities and programs. December 4, 2011 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. Free Admission. A Kid’s Event. Cynthia Rafetto Kreilick’s A Gingerbread Gift Local Children’s Author Debuts her Holiday Book Join us as we unveil Cynthia Rafetto Kreilick’s newest bilingual children’s book. Children ages 3 – 7 will love this delightful tale of a gingerbread man who builds a gingerbread house in the forest for his best friend. Crafts and take-home cookies for children in the audience. The Gingerbread Gift will be on sale at the event for $6.95/copy (paperback).

Special Events

December 10, 2011 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission. Poet Alison Hicks reads from her new, transcendent poetry collec-tion, Kiss. December 17, 2011 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free admission. Reading and Book Signing by Lori Lichtman and other creative non-fiction writers from Philadelphia Reflec-tions: Stories from the Delaware to the Schuylkill January 7, 2012 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission. Book Launch Party for The Trail by Brian Francis. The Trail is a spine-tingling horror novel published by Damnation Books about a college-reunion camping trip that turns deadly on the Appalachian Trail. January 21, 2010 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission. All But True Fiction Series hosted by Doug Gordon. Readers to Be Announced. Doug Gordon, All But True series coordinator, is an editor and publishing professional in Philadelphia, and a former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford.

January 28, 2010 (Saturday), 4:00 P.M. Free Admission. P.S. Junior Magazine Launch. Philadelphia Stories and Musehouse Come hear our Musehouse teens and tweens read some of their poetry and prose which has been published in P.S. Junior magazine! February 10, 2012 (Friday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission. Poetry Open Mike Night. Email [email protected] to add your name to the readers list. February 18, 2012 (Saturday), 7:00 p.m. Free Admission. Reading and Book Signing by Lauren Davis Lauren will read from her powerful, stark and moving novel, Our Daily Bread.

MUSEHOUSE PRESENTS THE POEM OF HOPE

POSTER CONTEST

We live in a world where hope often seems to be in short supply. For the New Year, Musehouse is calling for original poetry that will inspire hope and transcend despair. Send us one to three unpublished poems of a maximum of 25 lines each that have a powerful message, metaphor or image of rebirth, optimism or possibility. The winning poem will be printed on a beautiful four-color poster with artwork by Philadelphia artist Anthe. The winning poet will receive $200 and 5 copies of the poster. Judges for the contest are Philadelphia-area poets Theresa Leo and Joanne Leva and the artist Anthe. Please send your poem(s) and the $10/poem reading fee by check or money order, payable to Musehouse, to: Poem of Hope Contest Musehouse 7924 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118 All entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2012. The winner will be notified by April 1, 2012. For more information check our website www.musehousecenter.com or email us at [email protected]

POETRY WORKSHOPS The Self and Place in Poetry This course is designed to accommodate poets at all levels of ac-complishment. The ABC’s (assonance, blank verse, caesura) of poetry will be addressed, as well as the basics: What is a good beginning, ending and title for a poem, and how should a poem look on the page? Contemporary American and international po-ets from A.R. Ammons to Adam Zagajewski will be discussed. Narrative, persona, political, lyric and confessional poetry (among others) will be covered with a particular focus on what makes po-ets’ voice and style their own. You will learn to identify your strengths, trust them and employ them to a fuller extent in your work. You will be guided to build more accurate and textured po-ems. There will be weekly assignments.

Session 1: Day: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 13, 27, 2011; Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2012 Time: 12 noon -1:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Leonard Gontarek OR Session 2: Day: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 31; Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, 2012 Time: 12 noon -1:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Leonard Gontarek Leonard Gontarek is the author of four books of poems: St. Genevieve Watching Over Paris, Van Morrison Can’t Find His Feet, Zen for Beginners and Déjà vu Diner. His poems have ap-peared in the American Poetry Review, Poetry Northwest and The Best American Poetry. He has been nominated five times for the Pushcart Prize and has twice received fellowships from the PA Council on the Arts.

Advanced Poetry Workshop

Session 1: Day: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 13, 27, 2011; Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2012 Time: 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the founder and Director of Muse-house, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slam-ming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of po-etry in America in 2009.

"The artist's only responsibility is his art. He will be completely

William Faulkner

ruthless if he is a good one...If a writer has to rob his mother, he will not hesitate: The "Ode on a Grecian Urn" is worth anynumber of old ladies.”

This workshop is for experienced poets who have had some publication experience. We will provide smart and compassionate feedback for poems that need revision before publication. The instructor will provide ideas and exercised to prompt new work. And we'll discuss the current literary publishing marketplace, along with recommended national conferences and retreats.

Beginning and Intermediate Poetry Writing

In this session we'll discuss what makes poems work and where good ideas go off course and where to take risks. Elements includ-ing image, sound, line breaks and form will all be addressed. Par-ticipants will discuss poetry craft, practice writing prompts and ex-plore techniques for discovering poems in everyday life. A wide variety of poems and poets will be read, and students will write, share and discuss their own poems in class.

Session 1: Day: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, 28, 2011; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 2012 Time: 7 p.m.— 8:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions)

Grant Clauser holds an MFA in poetry from Bowling Green State University where he was the 1993 Richard Devine Fellow. He is a magazine and web editor and has taught writing at area colleges. His poems have appeared in various journals including The Literary Review, Schuylkill Valley Journal, Painted Bride Quarterly, The Heartland Review, and others. He was selected by Robert Bly to be the 2010 Montgomery County Poet Laureate. Through the MCPL program, he started a monthly workshop, the Montco Worshop in Lansdale.

Musehouse Poetry Seminar

A one-day seminar for poets of all levels. Date: Sunday, March 11, 2012 Time: 9 a.m. –6 p.m. Fee: $150 (includes workshops, panel discussion, breakfast, lunch and information fair. Participants pay for their own dinner.) Seminar Coordinator: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, Director of Musehouse Workshop Faculty To Be Announced When registering for this seminar please send us a sample of two poems so we can place you in the appropriate workshop circle.

9—10 a.m. Contintental Breakfast: Morning coffee and pastries, intro-ductions, seminar info and a warm welcome from the Director of Muse-house. 10—11:30 a.m. Morning Workshop : Your break-out group of five poets will share their poetry aloud for discussion in a constructive and encouraging environment. 11:30 a.m.—1 p.m. Lunch and Info Fair: Brown bag lunches compli-ments of Musehouse. Fill your tote bag with complimentary magazines, books, pencils, submission guidelines, magnets and much more. 1—2:30 p.m. Afternoon Workshop: Continuation of morning work-shop. 3—4 p.m. Panel Discussion: Local luminaries will discuss publishing houses, literary magazines, contests, poetry readings and workshops. 4:30—5:30 p.m. Poetry Reading: Seminar participants and faculty are invited to read some of their poetry as part of our final event for the eve-ning. 6 p.m. Dinner at the Ysu Haing Chinese Restaurant in Chestnut Hill. Pay your own tab!

Musehouse Meets the Museum A one-day poetry and fiction workshop featuring a visit to the Woodmere Art Museum. Date: Sunday, February 19, 2012 Time: 10 a.m.—3 p.m. Fee: $60 Instructors: Kathy Sheeder Bonanno and Susan Agar Other Info: Tickets to the museum and lunch included Join us for a day of ekphrastic writing! We’ll start at the Wood-mere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill with a mini tour of the museum followed by a one-hour tutorial by Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno and Susan Agar about how to write responsively to visual art. Next, we’ll each choose a painting to write about, study it and make a draft of a poem or short story. Finally, we’ll drive down the hill to Musehouse, where we’ll enjoy complimentary lunch. We’ll end our afternoon with a reading of our new poems and sto-ries to the group. What a fun and civilized way to spend a Sunday afternoon! This is a great workshop for writers of all levels. Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Muse-house, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slam-ming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of po-etry in America in 2009. Susan Agar is the Program Coordinator of Musehouse. While living in London, she was a Reader for the Ian St. James Literary Award in short fiction.

STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS

Storytelling For Beginners

This is a course for those who want to tell stories aloud but do not know how to begin. The first session, Developing The Skills, ex-amines the basic components of a story and uses a storyboard for learning how to tell it. The next two sessions, Enhancing The Story, use props, movement and dialogue to make a story more interesting. The fourth and fifth sessions focus on description and movement. The final session reviews the rules and provides the students a safe place in which to exercise their newly found skills. Each session includes instruction, demonstrations, and exercises to develop these new skills. Session 2: Day: Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012; Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2012 Time: 7 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Dennis Strain Dennis Strain has been telling stories for over twenty years. His storytelling journey started in Harrisburg where he told with two storytelling groups: Tapestry of Tales and Susquehanna Tellers. In 2005, he joined Patchwork: A Storytelling Guild and told at Tellabration In Philadelphia in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He is cur-rently president of Patchwork. Dennis tells traditional tales, with an emphasis on Irish folklore.

MEMOIR WORKSHOPS Writing the Stories of Our Lives Have you always wanted to write your life story but can't seem to find the time or don't know where to start? Did you know that clinical studies are proving memoir writing has health benefits? Come join this supportive class as we talk about the recent memoir boom, the essential elements of memoir and how other writers have used them effectively. Each week, you will learn how to ac-cess your most important memories by using lists, keepsakes, mind maps and more. You will learn narrative techniques for turn-ing these memories into stories. Every class will include two or three short writing exercises and constructive, gentle feed-back. You will go home with short pieces to jumpstart your mem-oir, tips on your strengths as a writer, a reading list of modern memoirs and books about writing. Session 1: Day: Friday, Dec. 9, 16, 30, 2011; Jan. 6, 13, 20, 2012 Time: 12 noon—1:30 p.m. Fee:$120 (six sessions). Instructor: Linda C. Wisniewski

Linda C. Wisniewski has taught memoir workshops through Bucks County Community College, and at writers' conferences and retirement centers for the past eight years. Her credits include the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Christian Science Monitor, Mas-sage, The Rose & Thorn, The Quilter, Mindprints, two Cup of Comfort anthologies and literary magazines both print and online. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2003. Linda’s mem-oir, Off Kilter: A Woman’s Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother and Her Polish Heritage, was published in 2008 by Pearl-song Press. Linda writes feature stories for the Bucks County Her-ald and a column on women authors for the Bucks County Women’s Journal. She also speaks and teaches workshops on the healing power of writing.

Making It Happen: Your Memoir Project

In this class, we’ll help you define a specific memoir project that you want to write. You will learn to develop parameters for the piece and write a few pages of the beginning, middle and end. By the end of our six-week session you will have the keystones in place to finish a book-length, chapbook length or essay-length memoir. This class is ideal for students who have previously taken Writing the Stories of Our Lives.

Session 1: Day: Friday, Dec. 9, 16, 30, 2011; Jan. 6, 13, 20, 2012 Time: 2 p.m. -– 3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno OR Session 2: Day: Friday, Jan. 27; Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, 2012 Time: 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno

Kathleen Sheeder Bonannothe Founder and Director of Musehouse,has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slamming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of poetry in America in 2009.

Grief and Loss Writing Workshop Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak Whispers the oe’r fraught heart and bids it break. (William Shakespeare from “Macbeth”) While moving through the aftermath of the death of a loved one, we often find a new perspective in grappling with the loss by try-ing to express it in writing. There is profound, if bleak, beauty and truth in the precision with which we recall the death of someone we love. The goal of this six-week workshop is to write about this, in your own voice and in your own way. No prior writing experience is necessary. We will be doing poetry and prose exer-cises in class and polishing them at home, with the aim of building a portfolio of writing about the loss. Session 1: Day: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, 28, 2011; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 2012 Time: 4 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructors: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno and Susan Agar Or Session 2: Day: Wednesday, Jan. 25; Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2012 Time 4 p.m.— 5:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructors: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno and Susan Agar Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Muse-house, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slam-ming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of po-etry in America in 2009. Susan Agar is the Program Coordinator of Musehouse. While living in London, she was a Reader for the Ian St. James Literary Award in short fiction. She has also worked as a Group Bereave-ment Facilitator at Peter’s Place, a family bereavement center in Radnor, PA.

Summoning the Past Date: Friday, December 2, 2011 Time: 6 p.m. — 9 p.m. Fee: $40 Workshop Leader: Susan Balee William Faulkner said, memorably, “The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” He was right, for we carry our memories with us for as long as we live, even if we think we’ve forgotten them. This one-day workshop seeks to bring those memories to the forefront through a variety of writing exercises and techniques. Once you’ve remembered a key time in your life, you are on your way to taking a handful of memories from that era and finding the thread that links them together. Narrative begins with what happened. How what happened made you feel gives meaning to the narrative. When you can articulate what you learned from what happened, your memory is beginning to transform from a random event into a piece of art. The memoir is fully realized when you can convey the insight granted to you by your experiences to other people (your readers). Of course the prose itself matters, how you clothe your memory in the words that fit it best is a final objective, but there are ways to develop those skills, too. The memory comes first, and this class will bring a few of yours forth and give you ideas how to develop them into narratives. We will do some writing exercises in class.

Susan Balée has taught many workshops for fiction writers and memoirists at the Philadelphia Writers Conference and the Suncoast Writers Conference. Currently a member of the Intellectual Heritage Department at Temple University, she’s also taught locally at the University of Pennsylvania and Arcadia University. Her fiction has appeared in Philly Fiction II, Silent Voices, The Wild River Review and been performed at the Interact Theatre’s “Writing Aloud” series. Her memoirs and personal essays have appeared in Grand Tour, The Hudson Review, Northeast, and other venues. She is a regular contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Hudson Review.

Recipes and Family Stories Preserving family recipes is one way of preserving culture. In this class we will not only share our recipes, we will share the stories that accompany them. Was this peach cobbler a favorite of nephew, John? Whatever happened to him? Did you learn the recipe from your grandmother? Where did she grow up? Using some of the same techniques used in memoir writing — like sensory detail, we will write short tales to accompany every recipe. Each participant will leave class with 5 copies of a simple 12-page chapbook of his or her very own recipes and family stories. And on the last day of class, we’ll have a pot-luck lunch featuring our favorites! Access to a computer at home is helpful but not necessary. The instructor will type up handwritten copies of recipes and stories if necessary. GREAT CLASS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS! Session 1: Day: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 13, 27, 2011; Jan. 3, 10, 17, 2012 Time: 2 p.m.—3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Special Senior Citizen’s Discount for this course: $99 Instructor: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno OR Session 2: Day: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 31, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, 2012 Time: 2-3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Special Senior Citizen’s Discount for this course: $99 Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Musehouse, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slamming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of poetry in America in 2009.

The Craft of Fiction

This course will focus on specific skills for writing fiction, from creating titles to describing characters and writing dialogue, build-ing a strong opening paragraph and central conflict to developing scenes, creating a story arc and pushing the story to an effective denouement. The workshop is open to fiction writers of all levels. Session 2: Day: Thursday, Jan. 26; Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23; Mar. 1, 2012 Time: 2 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Nathan Long Nathan Long has taught creative writing for over 20 years, in community settings and in colleges. He is currently an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

FICTION WORKSHOPS

"Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light Anton Chekhovon broken glass."

Scriptwriting

Short Screenplay Writing

Just as poems differ from novels, short films differ from feature films. Shorts are an art form in their own right. Shorts allow film-makers an opportunity to approach character and story in a way that often does not work in feature films. This workshop is an ex-amination of screenwriting as it applies to short films, a crash course in understanding the process of making an effective piece that both exploits the uniqueness of the form and avoids the pit-falls that many, many filmmakers encounter.

Session 1: Day: Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, 28, 2011; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 2012 Time: 2 p.m.—3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: David Greenberg Or Session 2: Day: Wednesday, Jan 25; Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2012 Time: 2 p.m.—3:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: David Greenberg David Greenberg teaches screenwriting the University Of The Arts in Philadelphia. Since 2006 he has been hired to write or doc-tor over 30 feature film screenplays, one of which, “What Matters Most,” was produced in New York City in 2007. An original screenplay, “Aftermath” was optioned by an L.A. production com-pany and is tentatively set for a Philadelphia shoot in 2012. His 1995 short film “The True Meaning Of Cool” won an award from The American Film Institute. “Jumpcuts: An Art Film” was pro-duced in 1996, “The Audition” was shot in NYC in 2009 and screened in January at the Idyllwild Film Festival in California. “Squeak” was produced in Philadelphia in 2011.

Thursday Night Book Clubs Come to the comfortable, serene Musehouse. (No need to clean up your living room or leash the dog!) for a monthly book circle led by a friendly facilitator who will prepare questions about the book and ensure that everyone in the circle has the chance to share. The facilitator will choose the first title. Participants will have input in choice of titles for the remaining five sessions (though not, of course, for Jane Austen.)

African-American Women Writers We will read works by Sapphire (The Kid) and select books by other writers such as Terry MacMillan (Waiting to Exhale) and Lorene Cary (If Sons, Then Heirs) and Lori Tharps (Substitute Me). Please read The Kid by Sapphire for the first class. Day: Second Thursday of the Month Dec. 8, 2011; Jan. 12; Feb. 9; Mar. 8; April 12; May 10, 2012 Time: 7 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. Fee: $60 (six sessions) Facilitator: Darlene Sistrunk Darlene Sistrunk is a poet whose work has been published in the Germantown Courier. Her first chapbook collaboration, Finding My Marbles, was recently released for publication. She loves to read good, honest stories.

Jane Austen Book Club We welcome first-time readers and devotees of Austen’s six major novels to a warm and lively discussion circle. The novels are Pride and Prejudice (which group members should read for the first class), Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park and Persuasion. Day: Last Thursday of the Month Jan. 26; Feb. 23; Mar. 29; Apr 26; May 31, 2012 Time: 7 p.m. — 8:30 p.m. Fee: $60 (six sessions) Facilitator: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Muse-house, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slam-ming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of po-etry in America in 2009.

KID AND TEEN WORKSHOP

Book Rants This group is for teens who love to read and who would like to discuss their reactions to books with their peers. Guided by a skilled facilitator, the book club will meet once a month on Satur-day afternoons. It will enhance comprehension of and pleasure in reading through sharing how we relate (or don’t) to characters and plot. We will tackle diverse and problematic writing styles -- all aimed at developing critical analytic literary skills.

Appropriate for ages 14-17 Day: Second Saturday of the Month Dec. 10, 2011; Jan. 14; Feb. 11; Mar. 10; April 14; May 12, 2012 Time: 2 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. Fee: $60 (six sessions) Facilitator: Barbara Snyder Barbara Snyder is a Reading Specialist who taught English at Cheltenham High School for 26 years. Her curriculum included a variety of elective classes such as Popular Literature, Critical Reading and Organizational Study Skills. Motivating reluctant readers and enhancing the reading experience of enthusiastic ones is Barbara’s passion. She has facilitated book clubs for teen read-ers of all levels and has assisted with the Reading Olympics at the secondary level for eight years.

Teen Lit Magazine: P S Junior In this class, students in grades 9 through 12 will write, revise, edit and submit poetry, flash fiction and other writing to PS Junior, a four-color literary magazine produced by Philadelphia Stories. Musehouse will have a supplement in the magazine featuring our very own writers. The writing environment will be encouraging, the instructor enthusiastic and the premise that every student can successfully write poems and short stories. Previous writing and artwork done by students may be submitted to the literary magazine. Session 1: Day: Saturday, Dec. 3, 10, 17, 2011; Jan. 7, 14, 21, 2012 Time: 12 noon — 1:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Ellie Hutchison OR Session 2: Day: Saturday, Jan. 28; Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25; Mar. 3, 2012 Time: 12 noon — 1:30 p.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Ellie Hutchison or Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Ellie Hutchison h as a B.A. in English Literature and a M.A. in Special Education from Arcadia University. She has tutored for over seven years at-risk students in Phoenix, AZ. She is the founder and director of a developing youth writing clinic in the Bristol and Feasterville areas that works with local schools on creative writing. Ellie particularly enjoys writing collaborative poetry and helping others discover their voices. She is currently exploring creative non-fiction and continuing her passion in writing poetry about the Native American cultures. Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Musehouse, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slamming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of poetry in America in 2009.

Ekphrastic Writing – Using Art to Inspire Poetry & Prose: A Course for Homeschooled Teens In this class we will use disposable cameras to take photos of the people and things around us. Then, we will write poetry and short stories responsively to these images incorporating sensory detail and narrative elements. Additionally, we will write one poem re-sponsively to a photograph of a well-known painting of our choice. This class will culminate in a clothesline exhibit of our work at Musehouse wherein we’ll display our photographs, poems and stories. Students will read and analyze ekphrastic poems including “Starry Night” by Anne Sexton, “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa, “American Flamingo” by Greg Pape, and “Nude Descending a Staircase” by X.J. Kennedy. Session 1: Day: Thursday, Dec. 8, 15, 29, 2011; Jan. 5, 12, 19, 2012. Time: 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Fee: $120 (six sessions) Instructor: Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno, the Founder and Director of Muse-house, has been an educator for eighteen years. Her book, Slam-ming Open the Door, was among the ten best-selling books of po-etry in America in 2009.

SAT Tutoring

SAT Tutoring — Verbal (Individual ) Our highly experienced SAT tutor will help you get ready for the verbal, writing and essay portion of the SATs. You will receive practical tips, review relevant materials and take SAT practice tests to help you focus on your areas for study. Session 1: Day: Tuesday and Thursday Dec. 6, 8, 13, 15, 27, 29, 2011; Jan. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 2012. Time: 4 p.m. — 5 p.m. Fee: $720 (12 sessions) Instructor: Susan Boland OR Session 2: Day: Tuesday and Thursday Jan. 24, 26, 31; Feb. 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28; Mar.1, 2012 Time: 4:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m. Fee: $720 (12 sessions) Instructor: Susan Boland

SAT Tutoring— Verbal (Small Group) Our group session of three-five students still allows for individual-ized attention at a cost-effective price. Session 1: Day: Tuesday and Thursday Dec. 6, 8, 13, 15, 27, 29, 2011; Jan. 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19, 2012 Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Fee: $480 (12 sessions) Instructor: Susan Boland OR Session 2: Day Tuesday and Thursday Jan. 24, 26, 31; Feb. 2, 7, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28; Mar. 1, 2012

Time: 5:30 p.m. — 6:30 p.m. Fee: $480 (12 sessions) Instructor: Susan Boland Susan Boland has been tutoring for the verbal section of the SAT for thirteen years and has taught SAT courses in a local high school for the past four years. As a thirty- year veteran classroom teacher of English, Mrs. Boland's varied experience with both writing and reading will help students become confident in their test-taking skills.

HOW TO BECOME A FOUNDING MEMBER

In this, our inaugural year, your financial help can make a critical difference. Through grants, donations and earned income from our workshops, we hope to provide Northwest Philadelphia with a rich resource for writers for many years to come. We’re proud that so many of our authors’ readings and special events are free and open to the public. Your donations help to make this possible. This year, every donated dollar we receive (up to $50,000) will be matched by the Knight Foundation, so, in essence your generosity will be doubled. Our goal is to find 500 founding members who will each contribute $100 or $250 or $500 or $1,000 or more. Not only would this sustain us financially, it would convey a powerful message of confidence in the Musehouse vision that the writers in Northwest Philadelphia deserve a dedicated space where they can work and grow together. Founding Members will receive:

Two tickets to the Members Only Reception on Saturday, April 7, 2012. This will be a lovely evening of music, Indian appetizers, wine and a reading from the international bestseller The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais.

An autographed copy of The Hundred Foot Journey.

ADDITIONALLY, the first one-hundred founding members will be invited to choose a name or book title to be incorporated into a one-of-a-kind painting entitled “Musehouse Bookcase” by renowned artist Susan Schary. This painting will be on permanent display in the Musehouse.

All donations are tax-deductible and should be made payable to our fiscal sponsor, “THE MIAMI FOUNDATION,” with the word Musehouse noted on the subject line. We are current ly in the process of attaining 501 (c) (3) status. Please send checks to: Musehouse: A Center for the Literary Arts 7924 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118

Two Easy Ways to Register for a Workshop Fill in the Registration Form on the opposite page. Include your check or money order (made payable to Musehouse) or credit card information and send to the address given.

OR

Call us at (267) 331-9552, between 12 noon and 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday, to register by phone. Have your credit card ready, please. Soon we will have the third option of registration through our online website, but we’re not quite there yet! If you would like email verification that we received your payment and that there was an availability for you, please write your email and phone number legibly in the space provided. Six students minimum are required for a class to run. In the event of under-enrollment you will be offered a comparable class at a different time or a full refund.

Workshop Registration Form Name ____________________________________ Street ___________________________________ City, State, Zip ____________________________ Day Phone: ______________________________ Email: _________________________________ Workshop Title Session # Fee 1. ___________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________ 3. ___________________________________________ Total _______________ Make check payable to Musehouse. Please include phone no. Or print credit card info. clearly below Cardholder Name__________________________________ Card # ______________________ Exp. Date ___________ Signature ________________________________________ Please mail to: Musehouse, 7924 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118 Questions: Email us at [email protected] or phone us at (267) 331-9552.

Winter 2011 Catalog

Documents

Transcript of Winter 2011 Catalog