The New York State Writers Institute announces its Spring 2015 Community Writing Workshops. Two workshops will be offered, one in fiction and one in poetry.

Fiction Writing Workshop Offered by Writers Institute Fellow James Lasdun

New York State Writers Institute Fellow James Lasdun will conduct a writing workshop in spring 2015 for writers interested in all aspects of fiction. The focus will be on detailed discussion of students’ work but there will also be readings from published novels, novellas, and short stories. These will range from the classic to the contemporary, and will be selected with a view to broadening the discussion of topics such as character, plot, style, and form, as they arise. Participants will be expected to be strongly self-motivated and to submit two works of up to twenty pages each over the course of the semester. These may be short stories or excerpts from longer works. The workshop is scheduled for eight Tuesday nights (February 24, March 3, 10, 24, 31, April 7, 14, 21) from 6 to 9 p.m.

Poetry Writing Workshop Offered by Writer-in-Residence James Lasdun

New York State Writers Institute Writer-in-Residence James Lasdun will conduct a poetry writing workshop during the spring 2015 semester. This workshop is for self-motivated students who already have some writing experience, and is intended to give participants an opportunity to develop and revise poems within a context of constructive peer-group criticism. Course work will concentrate on students’ writing, but will also include close reading of selected texts with a view to discussing specific aspects of the art of poetry, such as voice, metaphor, and the relation of style to subject. Participants will be expected to submit up to ten pages of poetry every second week. The workshop is scheduled for eight Wednesday nights (February 25, March 4, 11, 25, April 1, 8, 15, 22) from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information, application guidelines, deadlines, and a bio of James Lasdun, visit the SUNY/New York State Writers Institute website.

The Arts Center of the Capital Region announces The Creative Process – In Conversation

What is creativity? How is it nurtured and why is it important? How does it find expression in everything from the arts to business?

Join Chris Marblo, President of The Arts Center of the Capital Region, and a panel of regional creators for a conversation about the creative process. We will allow plenty of time for audience Q+A. Refreshments provided by Honest Weight Food Co-Op.

Wednesday, January 14th from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Free and open to the public. Panel moderator: Chris Marblo-President, The Arts Center of the Capital Region

Panel Guests:

John Tobin: Vice President of Operations, EYP Architecture and Engineering
Jeff Stone: Senior Vice President, Kinderhook Bank
Coleen Paratore: Writer/Teacher
Steve Lobel: Vice President, Anchor Agency/Arts Patron
Alana Sparrow: Founding Principal, The Foundry