Literature and Writing   

September 19 – Ann Van Hine – Pieces Falling – A 9/11 Survivor Memoir

Book: As a wife and mom, church volunteer, and small business owner, Ann Van Hine prided herself on being in control of her life. Until 9/11. Pieces Falling is Ann’s story of navigating the very personal loss of her husband, Bruce—a New York City firefighter who died on 9/11—amid the very public tragedy that shocked the world. Her poignant reflections help answer the questions:

• How do you cope when life lies in pieces around you?

• How do you begin to rebuild in the face of all that has been lost?

• How do you commemorate the past while creating space for your future?

October 3 – Kelly Lardner – Family History Month – Rose Beads

August 22 – Meade Fischer – Summer Vacation – With the Sea Beside Me

November 7 – Patricia Puentes – International Showbiz Mysteries – Cluelessly Unscripted

December 5 – Sidney Niemeyer – Atomic Peril: A Nuclear Forensics Thriller

Create a 1-2 page Legacy Letter to express core values, beliefs, life lessons and dreams to share with family and friends as a way to inform and influence the future. What do you say in a Legacy Letter? Who will receive it? When is a good time to write your letter? Is a letter or a short booklet featuring words of wisdom, art or photos a better choice for you? See sample letters as "starters" and review a series of questions to engage reflection during class as you write.

Historian Colin Woodard, in his fascinating book, argues that the reason Americans have never been able to resolve fundamental issues (e.g., is this a Christian nation or secular? Which political party defends American values and which undermines them?) is because there isn’t, and never has been, one America but several. Woodard details the histories of eleven distinct regional cultures that evolved from the vastly different groups of immigrants who took control of the lands that became the United States. Includes 4-page handout with summary and links to related articles.

Come get an infusion of joy and purpose. Through work-shopping, journaling, and lectures we will investigate the creative impulses that can lead to a new creative passion or unearth a long buried one. This is a workshop and participatory class.

We’ll read six young adult books and discuss their variety of themes of the most banned youth books in this country in the last few years. Week one: Discussion of book banning and readings; Week two: “Speak” by Laurie Anderson and “George” by Alex Gino. Week three: “The Hate You Give” by Angie Thomas and “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. Week four: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky and “Out of Darkness” by Ashley Hope Perez. Join Terry McAteer for this unique and unfortunate literary trail of recent American book banning.
Students are responsible for purchasing their own books. 

An introductory course for individuals to learn and practice writing personal life stories as narratives or creating a memory book. Features story starter techniques, sharing meaningful objects, questions as memory prompts, and option to create a themed story collection. NEW "Life Reflections Booklet" includes handouts, sample stories, questions and resources.

Monthly gathering to discuss books ranging from historical fiction to non-fiction and classics. Short presentation focusing on facts about author, historical setting or other interesting aspects of the book sets tone for informal discussion. Members will need to obtain their own books. Opening selection will be The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. Full reading list will be provided when registered.

This class is designed for people who have already taken the Beginning Memoir course, though all are welcome, and I will provide handouts for newcomers to acquaint them with the material. Every week students are given prompts, which they may choose to respond to.

This class is designed for people who have already taken the Beginning Memoir course, though all are welcome, and I will provide handouts for newcomers to acquaint them with the material. Every week students are given prompts, which they may choose to respond to.

Create a "family memory cookbook" featuring your favorite family recipes and the special memories associated with them. Is it Grandma's strudel, peach pie or other treasured food memory for holidays, birthdays or other special occasions? Write and/or bring your stories to class to share. Janice provides resources for specialty publishers that will print your book.

America’s national identity has long been shaped by religious stories of divine destiny, chosenness, and sacred purpose. From the Puritan “City on a Hill” address to presidential inauguration speeches, this course reads the evolution of American religious nationalism as an open-ended literary tradition, drawing on genres like the epic, romance, tragedy, jeremiad, and apocalyptic fantasy. 

Standing in contrast to these dominant narratives of the nation are the counter-traditions crafted by abolitionists, Indigenous leaders, Black nationalists, Catholic immigrants, and religious fringe movements. Through foundational texts, sermons, speeches, and popular culture, we will investigate how the idea of America is imagined and contested over time. How do religious and political communities construct stories of belonging, exclusion, and destiny? And how do these stories reflect their geographic, cultural, and historical contexts?

Weekly topics may include the Puritan jeremiad, Manifest Destiny as epic, the Civil War as messianic crisis, Black nationalist prophecy, Indigenous spiritual resistance, Catholic and Mormon exceptionalism, and more contemporary visions of apocalypse and conspiracy. No prior background in religious studies or literary theory is required—just an interest in how stories shape the world we live in.

Got a book you're struggling to finish? This 5-week workshop is for you. Work with a professional editor to create a satisfying ending for your target market and avoid the top five mistake authors make. Learn to use plot, character, and setting to find the flow of the story. A portion of each session is spent writing manuscript pages based on exercises completed in class while the instructor conducts one-on-one conferences with students. Zoom option available!

Stop putting off writing that book you've always dreamed of writing! This 5-week workshop will take you step by step through the process. Learn how to use character, plot and setting to drive your novel. Or subject matter, subtopics, target reader, and theme to develop your non-fiction. A portion of each session is spent writing manuscript pages using tools and techniques learned, as the instructor conducts one-on-one conferences with students. Zoom option available.

Kate Chopin was a prolific writer of the late nineteenth-, early twentieth-centuries. Her popular short stories examined the lives of wealthy and middle-class American women, highlighting the limitations of the culture in which they lived. However, her most important novel, The Awakening, was considered so scandalous it effectively put a stop to her writing career. This class will look at the how Chopin’s works illuminate the roles of women at the turn of the twentieth century and consider why The Awakening was met with outrage.

The Japanese Incarceration and tenuous sociopolitical and race relations prevalent in Seattle's International District during the 1940s are documented in Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. This historical fiction novel investigates enduring prejudicial consequences and their lasting socio-political and cultural imprints. 

The Japanese Incarceration and tenuous sociopolitical and race relations prevalent in Seattle's International District during the 1940s are documented in Jamie Ford's Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. This historical fiction novel investigates enduring prejudicial consequences and their lasting socio-political and cultural imprints.