Colorado State University Hosts Week-Long Celebration of Literacy in the Rocky Mountain West

Fort Collins will host community members from across the Rocky Mountain region during a week-long series of workshops and readings designed to celebrate literacy. "The Greyrock Institute: Reading and Writing the Rockies," organized by Colorado State University, will run from June 20-27 and is open to everyone who is interested in discussing new books, improving writing skills and sharing a love of reading and writing with others. The week will include five free public readings, including readings by two nationally known poets and essayists, Linda Hasselstrom and Linda Hogan. Local writers Leslee Becker, Judy Doenges and Bill Tremblay also will be featured.

The Greyrock Institute also will offer 11 workshops designed to bring together readers and writers of all interests and experiences with seasoned teachers of writing and literature. Workshops will explore writing techniques – such as effective use of detail and strategies for avoiding writer’s block – and a wide range of genres, from children’s literature to classic science fiction. Workshops will be held on the Colorado State University campus. Registration is required and costs $20 for each session. Free parking passes will be mailed to all registered participants. For more information or to register for workshops, call (970) 491-6428 or visit http://greyrock.colostate.edu.

A complete schedule of readings and workshops follows:

June 20

  • Opening Reading: Poet and Essayist Linda Hasselstrom, 7 p.m., Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree

June 21

  • Second Reading: Poet and Novelist William Tremblay: "A Poet Writing Historical Fiction?" 5 p.m., Jade Creek Books, 123 North College Ave.
  • Workshop: "Writing for the Web: A Primer," Mike Palmquist, 2-4 p.m. *Workshop: "Seeing the Land: Creating Visual Images of the West," Deborah Sattler, 7-9 p.m.

June 22

  • Workshop: "Choosing Children’s Books (Ages 6-9)," Jessica Richards-Palmquist and Linda Payton, 10 a.m.-noon *Workshop: "Writing Family Histories (first of two sessions)," Amy Cashulette Flagg and Demetrios Godenitz, 2-4 p.m. (second session June 26, 2-4 p.m.)

June 25

  • Third Reading: Short Story Writer Leslee Becker, "Strange Tales of Short Fiction," 5 p.m., Jade Creek Books *Workshop: "Wolves, Wanderlust, and the Wild, Wild West: New Adolescent Literature with a Rocky Mountain Attitude," Julie Robinson, 10 a.m. to noon *Workshop: "Letting the Poem Show You How to Read It," Mary Crow, Colorado Poet Laureate, 2-4 p.m.
  • Workshop: "What Makes Classic Science Fiction ‘Classic?’" David Mogen, 7-9 p.m.

June 26

  • Fourth Reading: Novelist and Short Story Writer Judy Doenges, "From Short Story to Novel: One Writer’s Progress and Process," 5 p.m., Jade Creek Books *Workshop: "Writing Family Histories (second of two sessions)," Amy Cashulette Flagg and Demetrios Godenitz, 2-4 p.m. *Workshop: "Reinventing Your Prose Style Through Music," Emily Wortman-Wunder, 10 a.m. to noon *Workshop: "Imitation Isn’t Just Flattery: Using Imitation to Write Short Stories," Kevin Foskin, 7-9 p.m.

June 27

  • Closing Reading: Poet, Novelist, and Essayist Linda Hogan, 7 p.m., Fort Collins Senior Center *Workshop: "The Possibilities of Language: Writing Poetry with Vivid Images and Details," Jill Darling, 10 a.m. to noon *Workshop: "Using Exercises to Jumpstart Your Writing and Defeat Writer’s Block," Mary Crow, Colorado Poet Laureate, 2-4 p.m.

Event sponsors include Jade Creek Books, KUNC FM, City of Fort Collins Senior Center and Bedford/St. Martins. Individual sponsors include Marlene and Dean Duncan, Max and Judy Elliott, Lee and Carla Jeffrey, Gary and Deanna Ludwin, Larry and Sharon Merkel, Christopher Staszek and Jean Hanson, Mike and Jessica Palmquist, Dr. George Tutt and Colorado Capital Management.