Chuckanut Writers

Classes for Your Writing Life

Village Books and WCC Community & Continuing Education offer a writing instruction collaboration called Chuckanut Writers. These programs are designed to inspire and encourage writers at all stages of their writing journey.

Check out these upcoming classes:

Tuesday, March 28, 4-6pm

• Generating Poems with Priscilla Long at Village Books in Fairhaven (1 session)

Join Priscilla Long in a journey of poem generation using three types of poems as models. We'll look at models of three forms of poems, and we'll generate drafts of our own poems using these models as our guides. Bring a notebook to write in. Priscilla Long is a Seattle-based writer and poet, and a longtime independent teacher of writing

Tuesdays & Thursdays, April 11-27 6-8:30pm

• Memoir Writing: How to Tell Your Own Story with Melissa Johnson at WCC (6 sessions)

This course will cover the basics of creative non-fiction writing for the memoirist, taking students through the entire writing process, from choosing a compelling personal story to a final finished short-form memoir. This course is taught by Melissa Johnson, a filmmaker, writer, teacher, and lifelong learner.

Wednesdays, May 31 & June 7, 6-8pm

• The Thunder Mutters: Reading and Writing Eco-poetry with Jeremy Voigt at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)

Join us for an exploration of what it means to read and write eco-poetry. Ecological poetry, poetry focused on "the relations of organisms and their environment," lends itself well to self-discovery, exploring social issues, as well as developing the art of attention. Each session will involve reading and discussing provided poems and a poetry writing exercise. Jeremy Voigt has been teaching for nearly 20 years, and has published poems in Nimrod and other magazines.

Saturdays, April 8 & 15, 10am-12pm

• Forgotten Language: Writing Poems about the Natural World with Barbara Bloom at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)

How can we describe and celebrate the natural world in our own writing? The poet W.S. Merwin tells us, "I want to tell what the forests/were like/I will have to speak in a forgotten language." Join us in this two-part workshop as we write our own nature poems, working toward discovering this forgotten language. Barbara Bloom has an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University, has published two books of poetry, and has spent her life in wild and beautiful places.

Tuesdays, May 9-30, 6-8pm (4 sessions)

• Wild Mind Writing with Nancy Canyon

Virtual Classroom

Spend four evenings discovering the power of "wild mind writing!" Based on Natalie Goldberg's book, Writing Down the Bones, this intriguing class frees the mind through a unique practice that eliminates writer's block. Instructor Nancy Canyon will lead new and experienced students through a variety of exercises—rewarding participants with a daily practice-style, fundamentally changing one's writing forever. Ms. Canyon holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University and has studied with Natalie Goldberg.

Saturdays, May 20 & 27 10am-12pm

• Poetry: Writing Into the Unknown with Kevin Murphy at Village Books in Fairhaven (2 sessions)

In this workshop, we’ll explore techniques for using writing to access the unconscious, the dream world, the irrational, and the taboo. We’ll experiment with forms and exercises to spark the imagination and open the door to mystery. Kevin Murphy is the resident poet on the Chuckanut Radio Hour and has been writing and performing poetry for over 40 years.