Culturama's 2023 Online Workshop Schedule
Friday, October 27th
9:00 - 10:20 AM
John Brantingham, “How to Write Flash Fiction That Matters”
- Workshop Description: Flash fiction is more than just very short fiction. It is an approach and an attitude toward writing fiction that deemphasizes story in favor of character, setting, vignette, and other fiction elements.
- Bio: John Brantingham is currently and always thinking about radical wonder. He was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. He has twenty-two books of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
10:30 - 11:50 AM
Stephanie Barbé Hammer, “Help! I’m Afraid of Fiction”
- Workshop Description: Bring a piece of paper and pen and/or open up a doc on your laptop and get ready to play with lying (just a little) and making a story out of almost nothing.
- Bio: Stephanie Barbé Hammer is a 7-time Pushcart Prize nominee in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry and the author of 7 published books: 2 novels, 1 novelette, 1 novella, and 3 collections of poetry. Wait, she lied! She also wrote a handbook on how to write Magical Realism.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
1:00 - 2:20 PM
Aruni Wijesinghe, “Eat Your Words” - using food as inspiration for your poetry
- Workshop Description: We will discuss food and its ability to create strong memories and emotional connection. Using prompts to evoke our experiences with food and meals, we will create poetry inspired about all we consume. Participants are encouraged to bring a favorite recipe or visual images of favorite meals or holidays to inspire their writing.
- Bio: Aruni Wijesinghe lives and writes in Southern California, and is the author of three poetry collections (2 Revere Place, The Litany of Missing and Bedside Manners). You can follow her on social media @aruniwrites (Instagram and Twitter) or on her website at www.aruniwrites.com
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Syd Bartman & Joe Hernandez, “The Healing Power of Stories”
- Workshop Description: If you allow it, writing can be a process of discovery and healing. Joe’s journey has allowed him to experience this firsthand, and Syd has had the great honor to witness this process in her classes over the years. We will share these stories and offer you a chance to explore your own story, your own healing journeys.
- Bio:
- Syd Bartman started out as a student here at Mt. SAC many moons ago, fell in love with Mt. SAC, was determined to come back to teach English here, and for thirty-seven years was honored and blessed to call this her home, working with students in nearly every class offered in the English Department. She began her career wanting to share “great literature” with students, but after inheriting English 9, Writing the Personal Journal, in 1990, became passionate about helping students create their own “great” literature. Foreseeing the demise of English 9 (a nontransferable class though it filled every semester for 20 years), Syd designed Creative Writing Memoir and Creative Writing Nonfiction in 2006 and had the great pleasure of offering those classes every year until she retired in 2021. She has enjoyed having the time now to work on her own pieces of memoir and nonfiction but is excited to be back to teach Memoir and Nonfiction one more time!
-
- Joe Louis Hernandez, Ph.D., is the current Director of the Rising Scholars program at Mt. San Antonio College. He is also an alumnus of the college who graduated in 2014 with his associate degree in social and behavioral Sciences. Since graduating, he has received a Bachelor's from Cal State University, Los Angeles, in Rehabilitation Services and a Master's degree from Long Beach State, focusing on student development in higher education. Most recently, he has completed his doctorate at Claremont Graduate University. His research focuses on the experiences of formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students in higher education. His work looks to develop an anti-deficit perspective on this student population. Joe Louis' passion for serving this student population arises from his own experience with incarceration and having gone through the criminal justice system.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
Saturday, October 28th
9:00 - 10:20 AM
Yi Shun Lai, "Doing Research for Writing Projects"
- Workshop Description: In this session, we’ll go over the resources I used to write my forthcoming YA historical novel(s). We’ll also talk about my methodology and some of the pitfalls I found myself in and review some of the resources I haven’t used–yet!
- Bio: Yi Shun Lai is the author of three books, the latest of which is A Suffragist’s Guide to the Antarctic (Simon & Schuster, February 2024)
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
10:30 - 11:50 AM
John Brantingham, “Writing the Novella-in-Flash”
- Workshop Description: In this session, we will explore a different approach to novella-length work. Not everyone’s story is a narrative. Join us to find yours.
- Bio: John Brantingham is currently and always thinking about radical wonder. He was Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks’ first poet laureate. He has twenty-two books of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
1:00 - 2:20 PM
K. Andrew Turner, "Sentence Structures for Emotional Influence"
- Workshop Description: In this workshop we will be diving into sentence structure and how the layout, design, and word choice all create buildup of emotions in the reader.
- Bio: K. Andrew Turner writes queer, literary, and speculative prose and poetry. In 2013,
he founded East Jasmine Review—an electronic literary journal. He was a semifinalist
for the 2016 Luminaire Award. Heart, Mind, Blood, Skin is now available from Finishing
Line Press. Read more at: www.kandrewturner.com
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/6777468613
Tom Thoune Visual Arts “It doesn’t have to look like trash”
- Workshop Description: Tom Thoune shares his approach to elevating and repurposing inexpensive materials,
developing individualistic style though artist prompts, and emphasizing the use of
human hand VS the computer. His current themes center around human proportions while
at the same time communicating his personal experiences of mind and body post-brain
trauma, both real and surreal.
Thoune focuses on the contemporary art world’s approach to rethinking materials and using what is available,Thoune begins his practice with painted-over paper-products of different weights such as cardboard, packaging materials, etc. These lightly-painted lightly-prepared papers are combined with colorful papers such as old sketches, wrapping paper, tissue paper etc. -
What to Bring: Students are encouraged to bring materials to the Zoom session to sample Tom's process. Thoune focuses on the contemporary art world’s approach to rethinking materials and using what is available. Thoune begins his practice with painted-over paper-products of different weights such as cardboard, packaging materials, etc. combined with colorful papers such as old sketches, wrapping paper, tissue paper etc. held with the help of pushpins, reusable adhesives, and simple clear glues.
-
Bio: Tom Thoune, a southern California native, moved to Charlotte in 1982 contributing to the art scene for the last 41 years as a textile designer, public artist and fine artist working in multitudes of mediums.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/86378343612
2:30 - 3:50 PM
Cuyler Smith, “Illustration Q&A and portfolio review”
- Workshop Description: Are you interested in a career in illustration? Learn valuable insights about the industry from professional illustrator Cuyler Smith through an in-depth Q &A session as well as portfolio reviews and personalized critiques. No materials are necessary but students should have questions prepared and 1-2 illustrations ready for review during the zoom meeting.
- Bio: Cuyler Smith’s illustrations have been featured in the New York Post, Entertainment Weekly, and Cineplex Magazine. His clients include: Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, AMC, HBO, Xbox, NFL, Fandango, Elton John, Wu-Tang Clan, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, OutKast, Def Leppard, and the LA Kings amongst others.
- Zoom link: https://mtsac-edu.zoom.us/j/8854869832
