Reading/Writing Workshop at Björklunden

From May 9 – 13, 2016, Lawrence University’s Björklunden is offering “Reading—and Writing—About Five Key Themes in Literature” with instructor Paul McComas. This workshop will take place at Björklunden’s lodge, just south of Baileys Harbor, and is open to readers and working/aspiring writers.

Love and loss. The working life. Coming of age. Struggle and hope. Life and death. In literature, just as in life, these subjects appear and assert themselves continually – no doubt because they reside at the core of our common humanity. By honing in on and guiding participants in the exploration of these five rich, timeless, universal themes, McComas both helps readers gain additional insights into whatever books they’ll choose to read throughout the rest of their lives, and aids and encourages writers (of fiction, memoir, personal essay, and poetry alike) in the development of their own techniques for bringing the human condition to light, and to life, on the written page.

McComas is the author of five critically acclaimed books: the novels Planet of the Dates (2008, The Permanent Press) and Unplugged (2002, John Daniel & Co.); the short story collections Unforgettable (2011, Walkabout Publishing) and Twenty Questions (1998, Daniel & Daniel Publishers, Inc.); and the novella Fit for a Frankenstein (Walkabout, 2013). He is also the editor of two fiction anthologies, First Person Imperfect (2003) and Further Persons Imperfect (2007). He has taught writing, literature, and film at every level up through Master’s programs, and at academic sites including Northwestern and National-Louis Universities (both of which honored him with teaching awards), the University of Chicago, and Tribeca Flashpoint Academy of Media Arts. He serves on both the National Leadership Council and the Speakers Bureau of the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and he is active in Patrick J. Kennedy’s The Kennedy Forum and One Mind for Mental Health. To learn more about his work, visit paulmccomas.com.

Participants may register as residents, which includes the workshop, food and meals for the week, or as commuters, which includes the workshop and some lunches. Registration is open now through May 4, 2016. For more information or to register, visit lawrence.edu/s/bjorklunden/literature-workshop, call 920.839.2216 or email [email protected].