2024 workshops

“Thank you for sharing your mentoring gifts with compassion, clarity, and joy.” — Jan Meyer

Each day was a dose of love and caring as we shared our stories.” — Barbara Tarka Leonard

All of my workshops are designed to validate the personal experience of participants and to help them express themselves with freedom and confidence. I care deeply about the craft of writing, but my teaching technique is gentle coaching, never harsh criticism. I believe that learning is enhanced by a safe, supportive environment.  

I have led workshops for people of all ages, from preschool children through seniors. Topics include fiction, songs, short essays, journaling, playwriting — and, recently, origami containers! Workshops may range from a single, one-hour classroom visit to residencies of one to two weeks. A singing performance or reading may be added to any workshop. Please contact me for information about fees or to develop a custom workshop for your group. 

Learn more about upcoming workshops below:

APRIL 20, 2024

GLOBAL EDUCATION CENTER, NASHVILLE, TN

Story to Poem: Turning Personal Memories into Lyric Poetry

 In this workshop, we will consider a variety of poems that tell and reflect on personal experiences of the authors or narrators. We’ll discuss the similarities and differences between story and poem, and you’ll hear examples of how some writers have captured their memories in poetic form. How does a poet choose the right form for this endeavor? What details should be included, or left out? How do poetic devices like metaphor, rhyme, and meter affect a poem? What’s the importance of revising? You will hear some memorable, moving poems and have a chance to try transforming one or more of your own personal stories into poetry — or at least a good draft. You’ll be invited (but never coerced) to share your writing in a safe, supportive environment. For more information and to register, please visit globaleducationcenter.org or call 615-292-3023.

This workshop will be preceded by a reading on the evening of April 19, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. at the Global Education Center.

MAY 3-5, 2024

ROETHKE POETRY RETREAT: SAGINAW, MI

A Process of Patchwork: Making Poems from Stories

Making a poem is like making a quilt. Think about the quilts that are constructed using fabrics from old dresses or shirts. The way that a single piece can bring back a memory, a story. This re-making or recycling, which is very much an Appalachian tradition, may also describe the way we can create poetry from stories. We lay out memories and observations, as if on a table or a bed, cut them into pieces, and stitch them back together into something new. This weekend-long workshop at the beautiful Montague Inn in Saginaw, MI will include this workshop and two others, one led by Anita Skeen and another by both Anita and Colleen, as well as an evening reading and lunch and dinner on Saturday. For complete information and to register, visit the Friends of Theodore Roethke website.

JULY 21-27, 2024

Maps, Journeys, and Geographies: Where We are Going, Where We Have Been

Leaders: Anita Skeen and Colleen Anderson

“To ask for a map is to say, ‘Tell me a story,’” writes Peter Turchi. In this course we will consider various geographies that we inhabit/have inhabited and various journeys that we and other writers and artists have undertaken. We will examine and create maps, both visual and with words, that tell important stories about who we are as individuals and as a culture. We will look at the writer as cartographer and how through exploration (premeditated searching or undisciplined rambling) and presentation (creating an essay, poem, story, or play meant to communicate with and have an effect on others) we lead both writer and reader on a journey into worlds real and imagined. Every map has  a story, and every story can result in a map. Beginners and experienced writers (and mapmakers) are all welcome. Visit the Ghost Ranch website for more information and to register.

AUGUST 16-18, 2024

Origami Boxes

This weekend class will focus on containers made of paper. We’ll make envelopes, folders, and holders of all kinds, from very simple wallets to keep business cards or receipts to beautiful modular boxes that are perfect for holding small gifts. No prior experience is necessary, and all supplies will be provided. There will be a $10 supplies fee. Call 304-372-7860 for more information and to register.

SEPTEMBER 8-13, 2024

Body Language: Beholding the Body with Words

“Behold, the body includes and is the meaning, the main concern, and includes and is the soul.” —Walt Whitman

Join us as we explore, by reading and discussing and writing, the miracle of the human body. We will celebrate the taken-for-granted life forces of breath and heartbeat. We will contemplate the large and small movements of our limbs, fingers, toes, eyes. We will mark the milestones of physical age and loss. We will consider body embellishments, from clothing to jewelry to tattoos: What messages do they send, what stories do they tell? 

Employing the five senses of their own miraculous bodies, students will respond in words to a daily selection of readings. The responses may include poetry, short essay, fiction, letters, even song.  Both beginning and experienced writers are welcome Call 304-372-7860 the to learn more and register.