Greyrock Institute at Colorado State University Celebrates Literacy this Summer with Series of Workshops, Readings

The Greyrock Institute: Reading and Writing the Rockies, a celebration of literacy in the Rocky Mountain West, runs June 17-21 this year and includes a series of workshops and readings by some of the area’s most noted authors.

The event is open to people interested in discussing new books, improving writing skills and sharing a love of reading and writing. The week will feature several free public readings and writing workshops, including a children’s workshop sponsored by the Fort Collins Public Library.

Ray Gonzalez, professor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at the University of Minnesota and poetry editor of the Bloomsbury Review, will open the 2003 Greyrock Institute on June 18 at 7 p.m. at the Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Drive.

Gonzalez’s latest book, "Circling the Tortilla Dragon," is a collection of short-short stories. Other books include "Memory Fever," a memoir about growing up in the Southwest; "Turtle Pictures," which received the 2001 Minnesota Book Award for Poetry; and "The Underground Heart: A Return to a Hidden Landscape."

Workshops will be held on the Colorado State University campus and the University Park Holiday Inn. Registration is required and varies in cost for each session. For more information or to register for workshops, visit the Web at http://greyrock.colostate.edu, send e-mail to Jill Darling at darlingj@lamar.colostate.edu or call (970) 491-6428.

The following readings are free and open to the public:

  • Ray Gonzalez, poet, prose writer and editor, opens the Institute at 7 p.m. June 18 at the Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Drive.
  • Veronica Patterson, Laura Pritchett and Todd Shimoda read selections from their work at 7 p.m. June 20 at the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, 201 S. College Ave. The event includes a reading, reception and book signing.

The following workshops are open to the public and require paid enrollment:

  • Biology as Creative Nonphysics: Writing Personal, Creative Nonfiction" by Gerald Callahan, 6-9 p.m. June 17 and June 19.
  • From Inspiration to Publication: A Poetry Workshop" by Mary Crow, 1-6 p.m. June 18.
  • Speculative Nonfiction: Using Others to Tell Your Story" by Steven Church, 4-6 p.m. June 18.
  • Finding the Second Self: Capturing Your Inner Voice," a workshop for poets and prose writers with Ray Gonzalez, 10 a.m.-noon. June 19.
  • It Takes a Thief: What to Do When Your Own Words Feel Tired," a poetry writing workshop with Jack Martin, 2:10-5 p.m. June 19.
  • The Contemplative Writer: Slowing Down to See What’s Already There," a fiction writing workshop with Elizabeth Stein, 2-5 p.m. June 20.
  • Fiction Saturday: The Writer’s Craft – Walking the Tightrope from Story-Teller to Reader" by Blair Oliver, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.. June 21.
  • Poetry Saturday: Visions & Revisions – A Solstice Poetry Workshop on Imagination" by Laura Mullen, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. June 21.
  • Birthday Cards for the Library," a free children’s workshop for kids in grades one through six, 2-3 p.m. June 19 at the Fort Collins Public Library Main Branch, 201 Peterson St.