GREAT FALLS 鈥� At 黑料网911 plans to offer a creative writing class spring semester.
聽Leigh Ann Ruggiero, winner of the Juniper Prize in Fiction for her novel, 鈥淯nfollowers,鈥� will be teaching the three-credit class Tuesday through Thursday from 3-4:40 p.m. from March 13-May 5.
聽Ruggiero has been teaching creative writing classes for 16 years.
聽“Creative Writing was so enjoyable, it didn’t even feel like coursework,鈥� said former student Janie Jordan. 鈥淚 had a lot of freedom to write what I wanted to write even as I was challenged to explore different styles, genres and subject matter.”
聽Dr. Leanne Frost, executive director of instruction and director of general studies at the college, is enthusiastic about bringing back the class.
聽鈥淚t is an incredible opportunity for At 黑料网911 students to learn from an excellent writer, and Leigh Ann is a master teacher as well,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his class also is a great opportunity for anyone in the public who may be interested in sharpening their writing skills.鈥�
聽For a Montana resident not pursuing a degree who just wants to take Ruggiero鈥檚 creative writing class, it will be about $500.
聽The Juniper Literary Prize Series takes its name from Fort Juniper, the house that the poet Robert Francis (1901鈥�1987) built by hand in the woods in western Massachusetts, the contest’s website said.
聽Gabriel Bump, author of 鈥淓verywhere You Don鈥檛 Belong鈥� and judge for the Juniper Prize, wrote of Ruggiero鈥檚 work,
聽鈥淭his beautiful novel sprawls across space and time, bounces between continents and decades. With a comforting hand, Ruggiero keeps us orientated and engaged. Energetic, stylistically brave, emotionally complex and gripping 鈥�
聽鈥楿nfollowers鈥� is a singular achievement.鈥�
聽The class isn鈥檛 restricted to novel writing as it will explore many forms of creative writing, including poetry and short fiction. Students are given free rein for their final project.
聽鈥淭his class runs the gamut,鈥� Ruggiero said. 鈥淚t is for writers of all experience levels, and we will touch on many genres of writing. It is a workshop class, where students will be given the opportunity to present their work to their peers and receive feedback from them and from me.鈥澛犅犅�