For the eighteenth year, the West Virginia Writers’ Workshop regaled our downtown campus with readings, workshops, craft talks, publishing panels, and all other things writing-related. This year’s faculty included such esteemed writers as Allison Joseph, Jon Tribble, Marie Manilla, Reneé Nicholson, Natalie Sypolt, Lynn Bartels, Katherine Mathews, James Harms, and Mark Brazaitis. There were forty-six total workshop participants of all ages and backgrounds.

Workshop participants in E. Moore Hall.

The four-day venture contained multiple readings from workshop faculty. Jon Tribble treated the crowd to newer poems about his time working at Kentucky Fried Chicken, while Allison Joseph read from several of her published collections, including a poem about Skipper, Barbie’s little sister, from Allison’s book In Every Seam. Marie Manilla entertained a Saturday afternoon audience to the colorful Nonna Diamante, and her Italian accent, as she read excerpts from The Patron Saint of Ugly. WVU’s own Reneé Nicholson also read poems from her new collection Roundabout Directions to Lincoln Center. Although illness prevented David Hassler from attending, the wonderful Ethel Morgan Smith stepped in to read intriguing and hilarious excerpts from her book Reflections of the Other: Being Black in Germany. Other readings included fiction from Mark Brazaitis and Natalie Sypolt, and poetry from James Harms.

Allison Joseph reads her poetry.

Mark Brazaitis kicked off the workshop on Thursday with his craft talk “Eye-Opening Openings,” in which he discussed how the beginning of a creative piece is a promise to the reader. Most importantly, Mark said, good work “has an identifiable tone,” one a successful opening conveys. Other craft talks included Jon Tribble’s advice on the ever daunting book-length poetry project, and Reneé Nicholson’s discussion on the importance of literary citizenship. Workshop participants were also provided an opportunity to ask publishing questions to a panel of workshop faculty, including PageSpring Publishing’s Lynn Bartels and Katherine Mathews.

Mark Brazaitis and WVU President Gordon Gee. President Gee stopped by to say a few words of praise for the workshop and writing.

The illustrious panel on publishing.

At Saturday night’s Open Mic reading, participants enjoyed food from Mother India while listening to each other share various poems, essays, and stories. WVU’s own Dominique Bruno kicked off the reading with a touching poem about her uncle peeling oranges, while workshop participant Dave Essinger had the room in stitches with his reading of The Cat in the Hat in the voice of Garrison Keillor. The participants ate, drank, and were quite merry. Sunday morning was filled with sweet goodbyes.

Dave Essinger and his infamous reading of The Cat in the Hat.

The participants say goodbye.

Many thanks go out to Mark Brazaitis, Reneé Nicholson, Natalie Sypolt, Dominique Bruno, Bonnie Thibodeau, Maggie Behringer, and Shaun Turner for their time and energy in making this workshop a success. For more information about the West Virginia Writers’ Workshop, click here.