UNCA's Great Smokies Writing Program Offers Winter Workshops

The Great Smokies Writing Program, a consortium of the Western North Carolina writers' community and UNC Asheville, will offer winter workshops in poetry and prose. Classes will meet from 6-8:30 p.m. and are open to all interested writers.

Tommy Hays will teach "Hanging in There: An Advanced Prose Writing Workshop" on Wednesdays from January 28-May 5 at the Asheville School. This three-credit class is for experienced prose writers who find themselves in need of structure, criticism and support. The class will read and discuss each other's work at length, and Hays will respond thoroughly to individual work. Instructor's permission is required for admittance. Hays is the author of two novels, "Sam's Crossing" and "In the Family Way," which was a selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club and won the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. His is the executive director of the Great Smokies Writing Program and is the creative writing chair for the Honors Program at the South Carolina's Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. He also reviews books for the Atlanta Constitution.

Sebastian Matthews will teach "True Stories: A Creative Nonfiction Workshop" on Mondays from February 2-April 5 at the First Presbyterian Church, Asheville. This two-credit class is designed for both beginning and experienced writers. Students will work with a variety of nonfiction forms, including personal essay and memoir. Class members will read and discuss creative nonfiction, explore revision strategies and address issues of craft in both new pieces and works in progress. Matthews received his master's degree in creative writing from the University of Michigan. His memoir, "In My Father's Footsteps," is forthcoming from Norton. Along with Stanley Plumly, he co-edited "Search Party: Collected Poems of William Matthews" (Houghton Mifflin). Matthews teaches at Warren Wilson and edits the place-based literary journal "Rivendell."

Jasmine Beach-Ferrara will teach "Telling a Story: A Workshop in Fiction" on Tuesdays from February 3-April 6 at the First Presbyterian Church. This two-credit class is designed for beginning and experienced fiction writers. Students will focus on the writing process from an initial concept to final revision. Class members will perform writing exercises to generate new material and draft and revise short stories. Students will also read and discuss published short stories paying close attention to the writing process. Beach-Ferrara is a fiction writer and teaching fellow at Warren Wilson College. Her work has appeared in "The Harvard Review," "Puerto del Sol," "BlitheHouse Quarterly" and other magazines. Beach-Ferrara is currently working on a collection of short stories.

Tommy Hays will teach "Give Up and Write: An Advanced Creative Prose Workshop" on Tuesdays from February 3-April 6 at the Asheville School. This two-credit class is for advanced prose writers who have projects in the works or who want to begin a new fiction or memoir piece. Emphasis will be placed on reading and critiquing class members' work. Hays will respond at length to submissions. Class members will also discuss craft and read accomplished writers' work. Instructor's permission is required for admittance.

Kathy Sheldon will teach "Finding Your Voice: A Beginning Poetry Workshop" on Wednesdays from February 4-April 7 at the Asheville School. This two-credit class will focus on strengthening students' writing skills and finding their own poetic voices. Class members will read and discuss a wide variety of poems. Exercises will be assigned to generate new poems, and a supportive workshop setting and individual conferences with the instructor will help students with craft and revision. A graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop, Kathy Sheldon writes poetry, fiction and gardening books. She has taught at the University of Iowa, Warren Wilson College, the Great Smokies Writing Program and the Asheville Poetry Festival. Her poems have appeared in literary journals such as "Plainsong" and "The Florida Review."

Sheldon will also teach "The Craft of Poetry" on Thursdays February 5-April 8 at the Asbury Memorial United Methodist Church, Asheville. This three-credit class is an advanced workshop where poets will receive thoughtful critiques of their work both in class and in individual conferences with the instructor. Class members will read from a wide selection of poetry and discuss issues of craft such as voice, imagery, music, line breaks and revision. Instructor's permission is required for admittance.

Cost is $20 for the visiting student application fee and $120.48 for tuition and fees for two-credit classes and $180.72 for tuition and fees for three-credit classes for those meeting North Carolina residency requirements. Information on out-of-state tuition or course audit is available upon request. Class size is limited; early registration is suggested.

For more information or to register, call UNCA's Special Academic Programs Office at 828/250-3833 or e-mail.

Media Contacts:

• Tommy Hays, Great Smokies Writing Program Director, 828/254-1389
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526