Teach. Write. is an online publication, but I like to make print copies available. I don’t know. I just love seeing my work on a real printed page, and I think many of my contributors feel the same way. It wasn’t easy getting the print version ready, though. Work has been crazy busy with finishing up one eight-week composition class and starting two more next week, plus a four-week student success course (crazy, man). Despite my schedule, however, I wanted to get this publication out before tomorrow because something special is going to happen.
One of my contributors, Jeff Burd, and two of his writer friends whose work also appears, have arranged a special virtual reading tomorrow. Nine contributors will be reading their work. Jeff will introduce each one, and I will follow each reading with a word or two about why I chose that work for the journal.
What a great idea!! And to top it off, Jeff and his friends have arranged everything because they are teachers, too, and know I wouldn’t have had time to make it happen. All I have to do is show up and be proud!!!
Since I started publishing Teach. Write. in 2017, I have, of course, been impressed with the talent that has come my way, but even more than that, I have been thankful for the kindness of my contributors. Something special about Teacher-Writers.
The Fall~Winter 2022 edition of Teach. Write. is here! I love editing this journal, and it always amazes me how things come together. In this edition, we have a special feature asking for readers’ feedback. Hope you will read it and let the author know what you think.
I will be accepting submissions for the Spring~Summer 2023 edition until March 1 with an expected publication date of April 1, 2023. Here is a line to the submission guidelines. I would love to read your work!!
Hendersonville Theatre
I am excited that next weekend, on Saturday, October 8, my one-act parody of Poe’s “The House of Usher” called “Roddy’s House Comes Down” is going to be workshopped at Hendersonville Theatre in Hendersonville, North Carolina. A few months ago, one of my students had a play that she wrote for my creative writing class read during this reader’s theater program, and she inspired me to give it a try!
If that’s not good enough, my former student and now friend and collaborator, Curtis McCarley composed music for the song included in the play called “Usher’s Lament.” It was like old times as Curtis and I worked on the song, just like we did for our musical A Carolina Story and other projects we’ve done through the years.
Click here for more information about Hendersonville Theatre, and maybe I’ll see you there!!
Being back on campus inspired me to go back to CAMPUS, my podel (podcasted novel). Episode 14: Ms. McBride is now available on most podcasting platforms. Just click here.
It’s been a long time–Episode 13 came out in March, so I am going to do my best to post more frequent episodes. I know the production level is kind of low right now. I’m just doing the best I can until I can learn more about podcasting and have more time. That opportunity begins August 2, 2023 when I begin my retirement. Right now my podel is a happy little hobby that I use to have a voice about what’s happening in my world and also just to have some fun. I neeeeeeeddddddddd fun.
In Episode 14, I give my listeners some backstory about one of my favorite characters, Ms. McBride–she a math fairy godteacher. Sounds pretty weird if you haven’t heard any of my podel.
Okay, it sounds weird even if you have listened to some of my podel. But, it’s fun, and I talk about Kierkegaard and Hegel and Kant a little bit, too. Oh, that’s even weirder.
But it’s fun.
There are still a few days left to submit to the Fall/Winter 2022 Edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. The final day to submit is September 1. The publication date is October 1. Click here to see the submission guidelines. I would love to see your work.
One of the great joys for any teacher is celebrating the successes of her students. On Saturday, July 9, at Hendersonville Theatre in Hendersonville, NC, I was so happy to attend a reading of my former student’s short play that she wrote while in my creative writing class last spring. It was her last semester, and although she is not planning to study English as she continues her academic career, she told her advisor, my colleague and friend, that she always wanted to be a writer, so my colleague suggested Creative Writing I, a course that I was teaching for the first time as an eight-week course–completely online.
It wasn’t an easy course to teach or to take–fitting in sixteen weeks of material in half the time was going to be a challenge, but my student consistently turned in quality, polished work in all of the genres we studied. About the time we got to the drama unit, I found out that the local community theater was conducting a play reading series to help local playwrights workshop their plays. Then, my student submitted the ten-minute play, “Book Club,” to fulfill the playwriting assignment.
My student and I after the reading of her play “Book Club” at Hendersonville Theatre
The play was good, very good–it had solid structure, strong characters with distinct voices, humor, and most importantly, something to say about the foibles of our society. Almost on a whim, I suggested that Amber submit the play for the reading series and gave her the information, not really thinking that she would have the time with her busy schedule to submit the play, but a few weeks later, she e-mailed me that her play had been accepted.
So, there I was on that Saturday, in the audience, listening to six fine local actors read my student’s little play and then hearing the audience members–actors, directors, family members, and patrons of the theater offer words of encouragement to the young writer and give suggestions for taking the play further, maybe expanding it. Afterwards, I was able to meet her parents and grandmother who were there in support of her achievement
To make the day even better, my good friend and fellow playwright Pat’s play, “Amanda” was also read. It, too, was a fine play and also featured great actors–A short play about a woman’s whose house cat suddenly and inexplicably miraculously changes form to the great delight and laughter of the audience. Like all good comedies, however, it had its poignant and touching moments as well.
The Brandy Bar in Hendersonville, NC
On Wednesday of the next week, Pat and I talked about writing ten-minute plays at the fantastic little watering hole called the Brandy Bar in Hendersonville on historic 7th Avenue for the “In the Company of Writers” series sponsored by the North Carolina Writers’ Network–Henderson County. After sipping on brandy cocktails and listening to some cool, jazzy blues, we read our own little play about writing plays before talking about plays, among other literary things, especially the non-pecuniary value of our art.
It was a great evening in the mid-week after classes to follow a wonderful afternoon on the weekend, spending quality time with writers and immersing myself in one of my great loves–the theater.
The print version of the 2022 spring~summer edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teacher’s Literary Journal is now available for purchase in the Lulu Bookstore.
Once again, I thank all of the fine contributors to this edition. I am so very grateful to them for entrusting me with their work.
I know I give myself so much more to do by publishing this journal, and my teaching, writing, and editing deadlines often collide, but I love editing Teach. Write. It allows me to be autonomous in my creativity. I don’t have to please anyone except myself in the end.
But, of course, I do hope this edition pleases you, too.
Here is the link to the online version if you missed it!
I am happy to present the Spring~Summer 2022 edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. It continues to amaze me how things come together despite my fumbling and failing in the midst of all the planning, teaching, and grading, grading, grading. Oh, my, the grading.
Don’t get me wrong. I still love my work, but editing my fellow writers’ stories, poems, and essays isn’t the same. These writers have made the process a joy–a source of pleasure and relief from the daily routine of over 30 years. I only hope that my efforts do justice to my contributors’ work.
So here it is! Enjoy! And thank you so much, dear contributors!
FYI–A link where those who are interested can purchase a print version will be available soon, usually takes me about a week.
Episode 13 of my podel (podcasted novel) is now available. Why not take a listen to it and the other twelve as well? I hope it won’t be so long between episodes again. Episode 13: Mrs. Whittakers 7,360th Class
CAMPUS: A Novel That Wants to Be a Musical has gnomes and fairy godteachers among other magical creatures.
Also, coming up April 1 is the Spring~Summer 2022 edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. It’s gonna be a great issue, y’all! Mrs. Winkler’s on a roll!!
Snow in western North Carolina photo by Katie Winkler
It is snowing here in Western North Carolina. Our first big snow in a while and so beautiful. My husband and I have made preparations: I went to get what groceries I needed and tried not to go crazy (come on guys, even if we get snowed in, it’s not like we are going to starve in the day, maybe two, it will take to dig out). We ran the dishwasher and washed a couple of loads of laundry just in case our power goes out, which is possible with the high winds that are predicted for later in the day. John didn’t forget the birds either. He wiped off the five inches of snow on the tops and refilled them this morning, so now I’m watching the cardinals, titmice, chickadees, woodpeckers, wrens, juncos, and rufous-sided towhees as they take turns at the well-stocked feeders.
All is at peace.
So what’s the anger all about, Mrs. Winkler, you may ask.
It’s the title of a book many of you no doubt have already read but is totally new to me–Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Master and Buddhist monk. The book is a Christmas gift from a dear friend, inspired by a long debate we had a couple of months ago about the “value” of anger. He didn’t see any positive effects of the emotion, and I recognized its destructive nature but argued that feelings of anger, correctly channeled, can have powerfully positive effects.
After reading the book, I am convinced that our friendly argument (I know–an oxymoron, especially these days) was more a semantic one than anything else. Anger, written from a Buddhist perspective but aligning with my own Christian worldview, seems to address both our points of view.
The first thing I noticed and had to get used to was the simple and repetitive nature of the writing. Having just read Rudolf Flesch’s The Art of Plain Talk (see my review in my last post), I appreciated the simple nature of the language, but the repetition distracted me at first, until I moved into the rhythm of the work and realized its purpose as a meditation on anger.
Throughout my first reading of the work, I noticed that Thich Nhat Hanh tends to emphasize the following:
Acknowledging the anger you or someone else feels
Recognizing that it springs from suffering
Taking “good care” of your own anger as much as you can
Asking for help
Throughout the book, the author repeats these basic ideas, explaining it in different words and contexts while offering many real-world examples. This will be a book that I’ll read again. I’m sure I will glean even more wisdom from it next time around.
One of my favorite parts is “Chapter Two: Putting out the Fires of Anger,” where Thich Nhat Hanh discusses how dealing with your own suffering and anger can help other people dispel any anger they have with you: “A transformation will take place in the other person…just by your behavior” (42).
Another chapter that speaks to me is “Chapter Seven: No Enemies.” In this part, the author speaks about the effect of alleviating anger on a community, even a nation. One section of the chapter is entitled “Compassion is Intelligent.” He writes: “If you think compassion is passive, weak, or cowardly, then you don’t know what compassion is. If you think that compassionate people do not resist and challenge injustice, you are wrong. They are warriors” (130).
I love this. Reading it and meditating on it has been invaluable to me because I have always seen my so-called “righteous anger” as the thing that makes me a courageous fighter. Now I see things differently. Perhaps my anger towards injustice lights a flame, but the results will only be positive if, if I dissect that anger and channel it, developing compassion for those with whom I am angry by trying to understand their suffering as well as my own.
Much of what Thich Nhat Hanh says resonates with my own Christian beliefs:
Matthew (7:12): “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. . . .”
Mark (12:31): “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians (4:26): “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…”
You see, my friend and I are not so far apart after all. None of us are. So my wish for all of us in 2022 is that we would find that peace that passes all understanding in our hears and our minds (Phillipians 4:7).
Stay tuned for next blog post when I review the unusual but wonderful little book that my daughter gave me for Christmas, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrowsby John Koenig.
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Just a few updates:
I am now accepting submissions for the Spring~Summer 2022 edition of Teach.Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal. For complete information se my submission guidelines.
My podcasting studio–photo by Katie Winkler
Also, drumroll please, I will be resurrecting my podel (podcasted novel) called CAMPUS: A Novel That Wants to Be a Musical sometime this month!!! It has been a long time, but last semester was just too intense (sooooooo much grading). I had little time for any of my passion projects, but I’m itching to get back in the saddle with some new material. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then I hope you will listen to the first 12 episodes. You can find the podel on most podcast platforms, but here’s a link, too: CAMPUS.
Once again I pushed things to the limit, but I am publishing the Fall~Winter 2021 edition of Teach. Write. on October 1, as promised. Wonderful work by frequent contributors and new writers as well. I am constantly amazed and humbled at the quality of the work that is sent my way and honored to publish the work of these fine writers, most of them teachers.
I started Teach. Write. because I know how much teaching composition has helped me improve as a writer and how writing for publication has helped me become a better teacher. I am so glad to offer opportunities for writing teachers, and students too, to see their work in print. So satisfying.
I will be talking about Teach. Write., my blog, podcast, and more during my workshop for the North Carolina Writers’ Network. It is an online workshop taking place Tuesday, October 19. Click here to see more information: The Big Share.
Another writing opportunity I have enjoyed is writing two screenplays for the anthology of short films being produced at my college–one comedy and one musical. The premiere of Haunted Hendo will be October 28 and afterwards the films will be streaming online. Don’t worry. I will be sure you all get the link!
Therefore, I will give you an idea of the wonderful things I’m doing that are keeping me so busy. There are some things that are not so wonderful, as you know if you are a follower. However, today is a day to stay positive, so here goes:
Katie Winkler Photo by Scott Treadway via Treadshots
I am doing an online workshop for the North Carolina Writers’ Network on Tuesday, October 19! The title of the workshop is “The Big Share: Alternative Forms of Publication in a Digital Age.” Here is more information if you are interested in attending: https://www.ncwriters.org/index.php/our-members/network-news/12288-online-winkler
I have written a couple of screenplays for short films that will be produced in conjunction with Blue Ridge Community College’s Theatre Department’s fall production. It is called Haunted Hendo: An Anthology of Short Films about Mountain Mysteries and Local Lore. Here is a link to one of our trailers: https://fb.watch/7TETuggqRx/. The premier will be in late October.
Haunted Hendo with two screenplays by Katie Winkler coming in October
I wrote one horror/comedy/musical called “Boojum: The Musical” and one ghost story called “The Tourist” for the anthology. I am also directing a music video with music written and performed by my daughter. So excited about this project that has all sorts of incredible collaboration among students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members. A wonderful experience for the students in Acting for Film and Play Production, especially.
Quite an undertaking! But fun!!!! Just the kind of engaging education that gives students more than a piece of paper, offering real life, life-changing experiences. In addition, the films will be something to add to their acting and technical theater portfolios. Film students are also involved as cinematographers and editors, so they are getting real life experiences for their resumes as well. Plus, all the students are honing their crafts, stretching themselves artistically, and gaining invaluable soft skills as they collaborate with each other and communicate with the community.
Now that’s what I call workforce development!!! In a theater arts classroom!!!
I’ll be posting the link when Haunted Hendo is available online.
New edition coming October 1
Another iron in the fire is the Fall/Winter 2021 edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal that will be launched on October 1. I’ve got a great edition in store for you, so come back and take a look!
I did not reach my goal for the next episode of CAMPUS: A Novel That Wants to Be a Musical. I had wanted to launch it on September 2, but my students come first, and they needed me. Also, I am making strides in improving my health, which helps me have the strength to serve my students better, be there when my family needs me, and lead a happier life. Pushing to get the podcast produced would have taken away from the regimen I am developing to stay healthier, so I had to put it off, but I am looking forward to working on it when time permits. I won’t make the same mistake of announcing a date, but I hope to have the next episode soon. I haven’t given up on my passion project! If you would like to listen to the existing episodes, follow this link: CAMPUS.
My Podcasting Studio–Made possible by a terrific husband and daughter–photo by Katie Winkler
Then, there is this blog. The work I do here is becoming increasingly important to me. It allows me to have a voice, even if it is small and sometimes a bit whiney. I hope you will keep coming back to read more. I appreciate my readers. I am so grateful to all of the contributors to Teach. Write. as well as those who listen to my podel. You guys keep me going.
And to my teacher friends. Please know, no matter what level you teach or what subject, you are important to the world, and you are blessed in a special way because you have so many opportunities to change people’s lives for the better.
Hey, Mrs. Winkler! 