Summer-2015

126 Writers’ Program Enroll at uclaextension.edu or call (800) 825-9971Creative Nonfiction IIThese intermediate-level courses are designedfor students who have fulfilled the prerequisitesstated in each description. Instructionincludes lectures as appropriate but focuseson workshopping. Students continue to shareand offer feedback as they move to deeperlevels of reflection and mastery.Intermediate Personal EssayX 401.3C English 2.5 unitsIn The Art of the Personal Essay, Philip Lopate writes,“The personal essayist looks back at the choices thatwere made, the roads not taken, the limiting familialand historic circumstances, and what might be calledthe catastrophe of personality.” This course is designedfor those familiar with the personal essay form and whoare ready to delve deeply into that “catastrophe ofpersonality.” The course guides you to write and reviseone or more personal essays to be submitted for publication,surveys the contemporary markets for thepersonal essay, and considers the manner in whichpersonal essays can sometimes be expanded tobecome memoirs. Prerequisite: At least one personalessay or creative nonfiction course, or by departmentalor instructor consent. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Internet access required to retrieve course materials.Reg# 256771CAThrough Jun 28: $505 / After: $550Downtown Los Angeles: 261 S. Figueroa St.,Figueroa Courtyard, Suite 100W,Classroom 101BTue 6:30-9:30pm, Jul 28-Sep 15, 8 mtgsNo refund after Jul 30.Samantha Dunn, author of the memoirs Faith in CarlosGomez: A Memoir of Salsa, Sex, and Salvation (HenryHolt and Co.) and Not by Accident: Reconstructing aCareless Life, as well as the novel Failing Paris. Ms.Dunn’s articles have appeared in Los Angeles Times, O(Oprah), Ms., and Glamour, among many others. She isa recipient of the UCLA Extension Outstanding InstructorAward in Creative Writing.Intermediate Memoir WritingX 441.22 English 3 unitsDesigned for the serious writer committed to participatingin a structured writing regimen as well as engagingin ongoing critiques and craft discussions, this courseguides you to examine key issues in your work, createan involving storyline out of your life experience, andcast yourself as a compelling character readers wantto follow. You also develop the self-editing skills youneed to polish and revise your material at a levelappropriate to submit to publishers. Includes discussionof current marketplace. The course goal is to completea 50 well-crafted pages of your project. Prerequisite:One previous creative nonfiction or memoir writingcourse or permission of the instructor. Enrollment limitedto 15 students. Internet access required to retrievecourse materials.Reg# 256767CAThrough Jun 7: $605 / After: $665UCLA: 2284 School of Public Affairs Bldg.Tue 7-10pm, Jul 7-Sep 8, 10 mtgsNo refund after Jul 9.Shawna Kenney, MFA, award-winning author of thememoir I Was a Teenage Dominatrix (optioned for filmby FX), co-author of Imposters, and editor of the anthologyBook Lovers. Ms. Kenney’s work has been publishedin The New York Times, Playboy, Ms., Narratively,Bust, Creative Nonfiction, The Rumpus, and The FloridaReview, among others.Creative Nonfiction: 2-DayWriting Memoir and Personal Essay:A Weekend WorkshopX 401.67 English 1.5 unitsEveryone has a story (and often many stories) to tell,whether your life has been a wild ride or a quiet stroll.This course is designed for those interested in learningmore about the similarities and differencesbetween the 2 forms and how to explore and shapeyour stories. Through exercises, prompts, and workshop,you begin work on several stories; you maydevelop some of these into longer pieces, while othersmay simply get your creative juices flowing. Becauseboth personal essay and memoir call upon the writerto dig deep and hover patiently over the material ofmemory, this weekend’s worth of writing and explorationgives you tools for staying the course long afterthe actual class has finished. Enrollment limited to 20;advance enrollment required.Reg# 256775CAThrough Jun 18: $295 / After: $320UCLA: 3126 Rolfe Hall✷✷Sat & Sun 9:30am-5pm, Jul 18 & 19, 2 mtgsNo refund after Jul 17.Amy Friedman, MA, author of 4 memoirs, severalchildren’s books, and thousands of essays and stories.Ms. Friedman’s children’s column, “Tell Me a Story,” issyndicated internationally, and her latest memoirs areDesperado’s Wife and One Souffle at a Time: A Memoirof Food and France (with Anne Willan), published by St.Martins. She is a recipient of the UCLA ExtensionOutstanding Instructor Award in Creative Writing.PoetryIntroduction to Poetry WritingX 422.3 English 3 unitsWhat is a poem and how does it differ from prose?What sources can you, the beginning poet, look to forideas and inspiration? How can you encourage a rawunfinished poem to become a thing of power andbeauty? This course provides a series of enjoyable andilluminating exercises to expand your imagination andintroduce you to the complex issues of craft and revisionin an accessible way. Of value to those who havenever written as well as those with some experiencewho seek new direction and feedback. Enrollmentlimited to 20 students. Internet access required toretrieve course materials.Reg# 256811CAThrough Jun 8: $485 / After: $530UCLA: 3121 Rolfe HallWed 7-10pm, Jul 8-Sep 9, 10 mtgsNo refund after Jul 10.Laurel Ann Bogen, MPW, award-winning poet andauthor of 11 books, including a forthcoming anthologyof her work (Red Hen Press, Fall 2014). Ms. Bogen’swork has been included in California Poetry from theGold Rush to the Present, The Outlaw Bible of AmericanPoetry, Stand-Up Poetry, and Spot Literary Magazine.She received the UCLA Extension Outstanding InstructorAward in Creative Writing.c UC creditm Online course& Text requiredM Course held during daytime hoursOnline CoursesChoose the right course for you. For advisementon online creative writing courses callPhoebe Lim at (310) 825-0107 or NutschellWindsor at (310) 794-1846. For online screenwritingcourses call Jeff Bonnett at (310)206-1542 or Chae Ko at (310) 206-2612.Creative WritingGeneral Interest:Beginning & Novice WritersThese basic creative writing courses are forstudents with little or no prior writing experience.Instruction is exercise-driven; the processof “workshopping,” where students areasked to share and offer feedback on eachothers’ work with guidance from the instructor,is introduced. These courses may be usedto fulfill Creative Writing certificate requirements;contact the Writers’ Program at (310) 825-9415 for details.The Essential Beginnings inFiction Writing: An IntroductoryWorkshop mX 401A English 2 unitsDo you aspire to write creatively but don’t know whereto start? This supportive workshop provides you withmany techniques to motivate and guide you. You learnhow to transform observation and personal experienceinto imaginative prose, create dynamic characters anddialogue, and write from different points of view. By theend of the course, you will have in-hand a series ofshort sketches or a draft of a short story and key toolsyou need to write creatively. For technical requirementssee page 4. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Reg# 256482CAThrough May 24: $395 / After: $435Jun 24-Jul 29Mary Jones, MFA, writer whose fiction has appearedin The Hopkins Review, The Greensboro Review, TheChattahoochee Review, Indiana Review, Santa MonicaReview, Epiphany, and Meridian, among others, andwhose nonfiction has appeared in Brevity. Ms. Joneswas selected as the 2011 Prose Fellow for the Universityof Arizona Summer Residency Program, and shehas been nominated for the Pushcart Prize.The Essential Beginningsin Nonfiction:An Introductory Writing Workshop mX 401.9 English 2 unitsSometimes the best stories are true. To help you turnyour personal experiences, anecdotes from everydaylife, and family stories into compelling narratives, thisworkshop teaches beginning writers the basic elementsof good storytelling. You learn how to excavate memoriesand discover fresh or unexpected facets of your lifestories. Through weekly exercises, you generate newmaterial and learn an array of fictional techniques totell your nonfiction story, including how to play withvoice, focus on a small unit of time, and describelandscape and character. By the course’s completion,you will have in hand a series of short sketches or adraft of a nonfiction piece. For technical requirementssee page 4. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Reg# 256483CAThrough Jul 5: $395 / After: $435Aug 5-Sep 9Marianne Villanueva, MA, author of Jenalyn, Ginseng,and Other Tales from Manila, finalist for the Philippines’National Book Award, The Mayor of the Roses: Stories,and The Lost Language. Ms. Villanueva’s work, whichhas appeared in Isotope, ZYZZYVA, The ChattahoocheeReview, and Puerto Del Sol, has been short-listedfor the O. Henry Literature Prize and nominated forthe Pushcart.Fiction for Absolute Beginners mX 448.4 English 2 unitsThis course offers you the chance to get your feet wetby learning the basic elements of story, characters,conflict, point-of-view, and dialogue. You write a shortpiece that focuses on the craft element being exploredthat week. For technical requirements see page 4.Enrollment limited to 15 students.Reg# 256484CAThrough Jul 5: $395 / After: $435Aug 5-Sep 9Harry Youtt, fiction writer and Pushcart Prizenominatedpoet whose collections include I’ll Always Befrom Lorain and Outbound for Elsewhere. Mr. Youtt ison the editorial board of the international Journal ofConsciousness, Literature and the Arts, and is aco-recipient of the UCLA Extension DistinguishedInstructor Award and the UCLA Extension OutstandingInstructor Award in Creative Writing.Judith Prager, PhD, fiction and nonfiction writer whosenovels include The Newman Factor and Black Water.Dr. Prager’s nonfiction includes Verbal First Aid (PenguinBerkley), The Worst Is Over: What to Say When EveryMoment Counts, and Journey to Alternity. She is aco-recipient of the UCLA Extension DistinguishedInstructor Award and the UCLA Extension OutstandingInstructor Award in Creative Writing.General Interest:Special Subjects & ThemesUnless otherwise noted in the description,courses in this section are open to studentsof all levels who want to focus on a specificarea of study. These courses can be used tofulfill Creative Writing certificate requirements;contact the Writers’ Program at (310)825-9415 for details.Emotion into Art: Infusing YourWriting with Feeling mX 406.25 English 2 unitsHow do writers make you laugh and cry? This courseis designed for beginners and those who want to juiceup their writing and gain mastery to do both. You beginby exploring emotion-packed fiction, short prose, andpoems to discover tips, tricks, and strategies to makereaders ache, cheer characters on, or hold their sideswith laughter. You also learn about gesture, pacing,tone, juxtaposition, hyperbole, personification, doubleentendres, and more. Through stimulating writingexercises, you are encouraged to find your own voiceand create short writing (prose or poems) about yourselfand/or fictional characters that can attract the attentionof readers and editors. For technical requirements seepage 4. Enrollment limited to 15 students.Reg# 256485CAThrough Jun 1: $395 / After: $435Jul 1-Aug 5Rochelle Jewel Shapiro, whose novel, Miriam theMedium, was nominated for the Harold U. RibelowPrize. Ms. Shapiro’s essays have been published in TheNew York Times and Newsweek; her short stories haveappeared in numerous publications including theanthology Father (Pocket Books); and her poetry in TheIowa Review, Sedge, and Moment. She won the BrandenMemorial Literary Award.Writer as Witness to Life mX 407 English 3 units“A writer’s work is to witness things,” states essayistEdward Hoagland. But how do you write creativelyabout events and experiences that are personal andimportant to you without getting too self-absorbed,sentimental, preachy, or narrow? Through reading likea writer, discussions, lessons on craft techniques, andpracticing those techniques in scenes, you learn toenhance your observational abilities, strengthen yourdescriptive skills, and write artfully on a human, universallevel. Some topics you might explore as a “witnessto life” include memories, the life or death of a lovedone, family history, socio-political or historical events,or a specific time or place. This course is appropriatefor fiction and memoir writers. The course goal is havea revised draft of a short story or chapter, the beginningof a short story or chapter, or a series of sketches. For