“If you don’t know where you are, you don’t know who you are.” —Wendell Berry
From wilderness to small towns to sprawling cities, the places we live and visit have a lingering influence on our lives. In literature, setting often serves as more than a backdrop. A well-drawn portrait of a place can add depth and richness to a story. Setting can also take on a life all its own, serving as a central character in its own right. In these workshops we’ll explore writing place and setting across genres. Our discussions will cover a variety of place-based literature and will offer tools for crafting compelling narratives.
Saturday, July 10, 2021, at 1 pm PDT | Workshop #1: Reading - Careful reading is at least half of a writer's task. In this workshop, we will explore how writers use place as a storytelling tool, focusing on examples from several literary genres in which setting is intentional and plays an important role in the piece.
Saturday, July 17, 2021, at 1 pm PDT | Workshop #2: Writing - Students will share a short piece of writing with our small group. This can be something written previously, or something inspired (or revised based on) our prior reading conversation. We'll discuss each piece as a group and brainstorm together.
Attendance at the July 17 workshop is limited, with attendance at the first workshop mandatory.
If you cannot participate, please cancel your registration through your confirmation email, click "View and manage your online order" and choose "Cancel Order." If you have questions or concerns, contact us at communications@nevadahumanities.org.
Kendra Atleework was born and raised on the dry edge of California at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. She moved away for a decade, mostly spent being homesick and researching the place she left behind—the product of which is Miracle Country. She is the recipient of the Ellen Meloy Desert Writers Award and was selected for The Best American Essays, edited by Ariel Levy. She received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Minnesota and now lives in her hometown of Bishop, California.
This event is a part of Artown 2021 in Reno. Find more community events happening throughout the month at artown.org.
Nevada Reads is a program of Nevada Humanities that is made possible with support from Nevada State Library, Archives, and Public Records; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the City of Reno; and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Library of Congress’ Center for the Book promotes books and libraries, literacy and reading, and poetry and literature.
