Updates

Submissions Now Open for Fall 2018 Edition of Teach. Write.

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The year is winding down. Graduation tomorrow, and I will be finished for this academic year, but there is an exciting summer of traveling and writing ahead, so bring on the professional development!

The spring edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal has been well-received. The journal is available online–print copies are also available–just follow this link–Spring 2018 Teach. Write. 

If you are or ever have been a composition instructor, then please consider submitting creative nonfiction, flash fiction, short story, poetry or drama.  See submission guidelines and deadlines here.

Poetry’s Power

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Poetry’s power partly lies in its ability to distill a great deal of meaning into a small space. An English teacher friend of mine used to explain to her students that poetry is the tomato paste of the literary world. Novels are crushed tomatoes, short stories are tomato sauce, but poetry is the thick paste that only comes out of that tiny can with a spoon (or opening both ends of the can and pushing the paste out in one big flavorful lump).

 

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The compact nature of poetry also makes it useful for teaching English composition, especially in college-level classes that often must stuff yards of material into inches of calendar space. For example, when the state where I teach decided to re-design developmental English, shoving 16 weeks of material from two separate 16-week reading and composition classes into one class of 8 weeks, I was having difficulty fitting in essential grammatical information.

 

Our old developmental English textbook used Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” as a way to teach vivid verbs, but my students had a hard time understanding what a verb was in the first place, so the poem became my way to simply identify verbs and introduce the concept of syntax, denotation and connotation as well as  analyzing concrete texts and the original purpose of verb usage.

In addition, we would discuss the importance of symbolism, metaphor, simile, and other figurative language, all concepts the re-design material stressed as important information to cover.

It worked beautifully.

I would introduce the poem and put it into historical context–an African-American writer titling a poem “Harlem”that he wrote in 1951 New York. We would talk about the importance of the title and how it helps the reader understand the poem better.

I would have students identify the action verbs and verbals in the sentence–happens, deferred, does, dry up, fester, run, etc.

Then we would look at the similes  “like a raisin in the sun,” “stink like rotten meat,” and “crust over like a syrupy sweet.” We would talk about the imagery and the importance of syntax and rhyme. Why is it important, I would ask, that the two lines rhyme and come one after the other in the poem?

Inevitably, I would have at least one student who would, in the beginning, question the relevance of studying a poem in a developmental English class, but by the end of the discussion, I would have almost always won the student over to the importance of using connotation, syntax and figurative language in their writing.

No doubt about it–plain and simple. It was the Power of Poetry that won them over in the end.

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The Power of Poetry is certainly displayed in the fine poetic contributions to the

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Spring 2018 edition of Teach. Write.: A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal.

Check it out!

 

 

Teach. Write. Submission Extension.

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The deadline for submissions to Teach. Write. has been extended until Sunday, March 18. I have accepted some terrific short stories, essays and poems from writing teachers around the US and even Australia and am excited about the upcoming edition; however, I would like to get a few more submissions to fill out the journal.

Therefore, if you are or ever have been a writing instructor in any capacity, including workshop leaders, elementary language arts teacher, secondary, college or university level, then I want to see your work!! Click here for the submission guidelines.

It continues to be my belief that submitting creative writing for publication helps us become better composition teachers, especially because it reminds us of the importance of revision and editing.

unbrokencircleThe spring edition of Teach. Write. is still slated for an April 1 appearance, and I still plan to take copies of Teach. Write. for distribution at the Appalachian Studies Association Gathering in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will be attending the conference April 5-8 and reading from my story “I Have Not Yet Returned,” about a daughter grappling with her father’s mental illness. Three other writers whose work appears in the anthology Unbroken Circle: Stories of Cultural Diversity in the South,  published last May by Bottom Dog Press, will also be performing.

In August, one of the editors of the collection informed authors that the book was selling well, being used as a text in a couple of college classrooms, and that readings were planned not only at the Appalachian Studies Association Gathering, but also in Knoxville, Tennessee, and at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

I am excited to be a part of the conference and am looking forward to attending other sessions about teaching and writing in the Modern South. For distribution at the conference, I will also take copies of  both editions of Teach. Write. as well as information about my musical A Carolina Story. I was looking in the program and even see some opportunities to perform a song from my musical at several open mics planned around the city, so maybe I will brush off the old guitar and practice.

Then work up the guts to risk making a fool of myself to promote my art.

Oh, well, we’ll see how it goes.

Hope to see your work in my inbox very soon!!!

 

 

Teach. Write. featured in blog

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A few months ago I was interviewed by flash fiction author Jim Harrington for his blog “Six Questions for…” which is focused on picking the brains of writers and editors to aid fiction writers in composing, revising, and marketing their work. Many thanks to Jim for the feature and for his interesting and informative blog.

The interview is now appearing on Jim’s blog. Hope you will take a look, and if you are now or have ever been a teacher of writing in any capacity, then please consider submitting to Teach. Write.  Submissions for the spring edition are open until March 1.

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Teach. Write. Open for Submissions

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product_thumbnailToday, Teach. Write. : A Writing Teachers’ Literary Journal, opens again for submissions for the Spring/Summer edition and will remain open until March 1, 2018. The Spring/Summer 2018 edition will launch on April 1. If you are, or ever have been, a teacher of writing, I would love to see your work and consider it for publication.

See complete guidelines here: Teach. Write. Submission Guidelines

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I posted that the North Carolina Writers’ Network mentioned the first edition of my literary journal for writing teachers on their Hats Off page, but they also wrote a short blurb about the journal in their publication called White Cross School back on Sept. 12, but I just saw the article for the first time a couple of days ago and have to share:

http://www.ncwriters.org/whitecross/2017/09/12/teach-write/

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Writing Conferences offer great opportunities to learn and hone new skills as well as spend quality time with fellow writers. Consider attending the North Carolina Writers Network Fall Conference in Wrightsville Beach, November 3-5.

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I am swamped right now but hope to get to post again soon and do a little diagramming of sentences as suggested by my friend and fellow writer Joe Perrone, Jr. 

 

First Edition of Teach. Write. Receives Notice

/ Katie Winkler / 1 Comment

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The first edition of Teach. Write. is being featured on the North Carolina Writers’ Network’s Hat’s Off page. The North Carolina Writers’ Network is a wonderful support organization for North Carolina writers. If you live and write in North Carolina, please consider joining and supporting this fine organization. There are even some writers from other states who are members of NCWN. The conferences, residencies, workshops, communications and other services are invaluable ways for writers to meet and support one another.

If you would like to purchase a print copy of Teach. Write., then visit the journal’s page on Lulu.com. 

 

 

First Edition of Teach. Write. Now Available

/ Katie Winkler / 2 Comments

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The first edition of Teach. Write. is now available! I still think I am a little bit crazy to try to publish a literary journal, but the idea of celebrating the creative writing of composition teachers is close to my heart because I know how much struggling to be a professional writer has helped me understand my students’ struggles with writing.

Yes, it is risky. Yes, I feel so vulnerable. I know I made mistakes. I am afraid people will be unhappy for whatever reason, but I feel so strongly about the empowering effect of being a writer that I have been driven to complete this project. The quality of the writing submitted, wanting to do the work justice, has also pushed me forward despite the risks.

So here it is!

Click here to read the journal online for free: Fall 2017_Revision2

Click here to order a printed copy of the journal for $5.00: Teach. Write.

Please, let me know what you think (but please be gentle), and if you are interested in submitting to Teach. Write., I will be open for submissions again beginning October 1, for the Spring 2018 edition. Click here for submission guidelines.

First edition of Teach. Write. to launch September 1

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It is the perfect time for Teach. Write. to launch. As I begin my 23rd year of teaching at a small community college in North Carolina and work on producing the first edition of my first foray into producing a literary journal, I am reminded of how much I love my chosen professions. Since I was a little child I have wanted to be a teacher and soon after that dream was born, thanks to a marvelous English teacher named Mrs. Riskind, I have wanted to be a writer.

Now I am both.

To add editing to those two honored vocations exceeds all my expectations. It is modern technology that makes this journal possible and gives voice to those who deserve to be heard–English composition teachers. These are unique voices–surprising and refreshing. I can’t wait for you to read the short stories, essays and poetry of some special writing teachers.

It won’t be long now, so stay tuned!

An Exciting Summer

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Submissions are closed for the premiere edition of Teach. Write. Thanks to all who submitted. I will be getting in touch with contributors as the month progresses. Tomorrow I will begin putting together the journal of poetry, prose and essays that will launch on September 1, 2017.

It has been a busy summer, and although I did not complete my two major writing goals, I have made progress on both and am looking forward to continuing that work while I begin teaching. The teaching will always come first, of course, but I am determined that I will use my time wisely and work on my writing projects each day. I want my students to be disciplined writers, so I need to make every attempt to be disciplined in my craft as well.

d8ce6a5e9ae0d888f860fbcc01dc04d2By the end of November, I will have completed the rough draft of my novel, Flood, a mystery/thriller set in Alabama during the early days of Obama’s first presidential run. The idea for the novel started as a short story for my unpublished novel Mordecai Tales, but on the advice of some of my writer friends, I decided to turn the idea into a novel. Portions of the book were workshopped at two different conferences this summer, and the feedback I received from fellow writers as well as two excellent instructors, Jane Smiley and Sheryl Monks, has encouraged me to complete the work.

223_4324I also will have completed several drafts of my new play, an adaptation of Robert Browning’s The Ring and the Book. I have spent many hours this summer re-reading and studying the The Ring and the Book, which has re-kindled my interest in this novel-length poem that is considered Browning’s crowning achievement but is little read today.

To prepare for writing the play, I also read Dared and Done: The Marriage of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, which includes fascinating biographical sketches of both writers as well as excerpts from their vast correspondence that is extremely helpful as I write the play. A third helpful source I completed reading early in the summer is Derek Parker’s non-fiction book Roman Murder Mystery: The True Story of Pompilia, an informative re-telling of the factual details surrounding the 17th Century Italian murder case on which Browning’s magnum opus is based. 

I am excited to complete both of these very different works and am truly enjoying the process of writing, something I hope to pass on to my students this semester.

My other big writing event was the publication of a short story “I Have Not Yet Returned” in the anthology Unbroken Circle: Stories of Cultural Diversity in the South published by Bottom Dog Press as part of their Appalachian series. You can purchase a copy of the book with its 26 stories and essays about the modern South through the publisher’s website or at amazon.com.

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