Phil Gulley, keynote speaker

ESR Ministry of Writing emphasis alum Philip Gulley will headline the 2002 edition of the "Ministry of Writing Colloquium" on October 26.  Author of the popular Front Porch Tales, Home Town Tales, For Everything a Season, Home to Harmony, and the newly released Just Shy of Harmony, Phil's easy charm and homespun humor will guarantee attenders a good and informative time.  His presentations will address the craft of essay and story writing, publishing in both the Christian and trade markets, and other topics of interest.  There will be many stories told and read, and a time to ask questions of this best-selling author.

Phil, in addition to being a writer, is a Quaker minister (currently pastor at Fairfield Friends Meeting outside of Indianapolis), speaker, husband, and father. He and his wife, Joan, live in Danville, Indiana, with their sons, Spencer and Sam.

The Ministry of Writing Colloquium

Previous keynote speakers for the Colloquium have been:

"Writing from the Center" led by Peter Anderson

"Life," wrote Thomas Kelly, "is meant to be lived from a Center, a divine Center."  What do we mean when we talk about the Center?  How do we experience it? What would it be like to write from the Center?  In conversation and in group writing exercises, we'll consider some possibilities.

Peter Anderson teaches writing at ESR and offers retreats and workshops at Clear Creek Writing Center in Crestone, Colorado.  As a contributing editor with the Salt Journal, he focuses on religion and spirituality.  He has written a dozen children's books on topics related to history and natural history.  More recently, he finished a collection of essays -- Walking the Big Empty -- which explores relationships between place and prayer.

"Alive on the Page" led by Elizabeth Cox

This workshop will focus on characterization and ways of dramatizing a scene.  You need to write a scene (or choose a scene from a novel or a story you already have) about two to three pages long.  Make sure you have two people interacting (not one person thinking).  For instance, write a scene where something has happened and the dialogue circles around that event- a death, a marriage, an argument, a fire, a betrayal, a birth.  You might allow someone else to come in- a parent, friend, or child -- so that their conversation is interrupted.  Notice if something is different after the interruption.  "Be sure that you allow me," says Betsy, "to experience where these people are -- a kitchen or a zoo.  I will know where they are by what they are doing- making soup or feeding the animals."  We will discuss the scenes in class -- so bring copies to give out.

Betsy Cox is the author of three novels (Familiar Ground, 1984; The Ragged Way People Fall Out of Love, 1991; and Night Talk, 1997) and Bargains in the Real World, a collection of short fiction.  Her short story "The Third of July" was included in Prize Stories 1994: The O. Henry Awards, and "Land of Goshen" was cited for excellence in Best American Short Stories.  Night Talk received the 1998 Lillian Smith Book Award.  She also writes poetry and essays and has taught writing at Duke University.

"The Poet as Maker, Seeker and Seer" led by David Craig

Poets need a kind of personal violence to become seekers/ seers.  The focus will be on powers of mysticism and metaphor, and the spirituality of the poet's quest as we surprise ourselves with language, move against the cliché, and risk our sense of self and the human condition.  Poets are encouraged to send, along with their registration, a poem for discussion in the workshop.  (Poems need to be received by October 1 to be considered.)

David Craig is Professor of English and Creative Writing at the Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio).  He has published seven collections of poetry, including Mercy's Face: New and Selected Poems and The Roof of Heaven.  He has also published three works of fiction (The Cheese Stands Alone, Our Lady of the Outfield, and When All the Flowers Grew). 

"Faith and Fiction: Spiritual Seeking and Writing Fine Stories" led by C. Michael Curtis

Contemporary literature may not be the first place you think of to find God, but this workshop will challenge the reader to find faith in fiction.  Faith and fiction both challenge our deepest yearnings and provide our greatest comfort in ways mysterious and immense.  Participants are encouraged to send a short story along with their registration (must be received by October 1 to be considered).  These stories will be reviewed by Mike and a few will be used as discussion starters in the workshop.

C. Michael Curtis is senior editor of The Atlantic Monthly, which involves editing all fiction, the Letters to the Editor, and other pieces. He screens some 12,000 manuscripts annually.  Curtis was the editor of God: Stories, American Stories: Fiction From The Atlantic Monthly, and many more.  His essays, articles, reviews, and poems have been published in The Atlantic, The New Republic, National Review, and Sport. 

"Writing the Young Adult Novel" led by Alan Garinger 

Fiction for young adults is booming.  Writing for this market is an art and business.  If you've ever wanted to write books for young readers - or have even begun a manuscript - this workshop will help you.  You'll learn how to make your ideas into stories full of clarity, expression and purpose - and then present them to publishers.

Alan Garinger is a nationally known author, having written everything from teleplays for public television to biographies and text books.  Alan  was an educator for 27 years in settings from preschool to college.  For the last several years, Alan has been working on books for young readers.  His titles include Water Monsters, Jeremiah Stokely: Inventor and A Torch in the Darkness, an award-winning tale of a German boy artist in the renaissance.

"Overcoming Obstacles to Writing" led by Stacey Padrick

In this workshop, Stacey addresses the common obstacles writers face as they set out to write (including procrastination, self-doubt, perfectionism, comparison).  This workshop explores the courage and faith required to pursue a calling to write.  It also provides both spiritual and practical helps for staying focused and motivated as a writer.  Participants will have the opportunity to develop strategies and learn from each other in tackling and overcoming obstacles to write.

Stacey Padrick was the 2000 Patrick Henry Scholar at ESR where she worked on her book, Living With Mystery: Finding God in the Midst of Unanswered Questions (Bethany House, 2001) under the direction of Brent Bill.  Stacey is the author of numerous magazine articles, devotionals, and newspaper articles.  She is also a speaker at conferences and retreats.

"Writing Spiritual Memoirs " led by Nan Phifer

Memoirs focus on the hours and minutes most keen in our lives -- times when experiences penetrate to the quick.  Our responses in these moments reveal our souls; subsequent reflections yield awareness of inner wisdom, strengths, the workings of the Holy Spirit.  Nan will guide you in creating a personal table of contents, suggest a writing process to follow, pose questions for reflection, and you'll write the initial paragraphs of your memoirs.

Nan Phifer is Associate Director of the Oregon Writing Project at the University of Oregon, and she teaches workshops in writing spiritual memoirs.  Her most recent book is Memoirs of the Soul: Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography, a Writer's Digest Book.