Dr. Daryl Farmer, assistant professor with Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of English and Philosophy, will be guest speaker at the Attoyac Writers’ Guild on Tuesday, Feb. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Attoyac River Gallery, located on Shelbyville Street, downtown Center square. Farmer will discuss his own personal writing process and experiences with his topic "What Riding a Bicycle Taught Me about Writing."
Daryl Farmer's recent work has appeared or is forthcoming in South Dakota Review, The Laurel Review, Isotope, Quarter After Eight and Prairie Schooner. He received a B.A. in physical education from Adams State College (Alamosa, Colorado) and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English and creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also a graduate of the Rocky Mountain School of Photography.
Farmer was born in Colorado Springs at the foot of the Rocky Mountains where he developed a love for the outdoors and a taste for the open road. He set off on his first bicycle tour in 1985, and has been roaming the country ever since, photographing and writing about the land and its people. Early in his teaching career, he coached high school basketball in Colorado and New Mexico. He has since lived and worked in a variety of places including Oregon, New Hampshire, Mississippi and Alaska, where he taught in the Athabascan village of Nondalton.
In addition to bicycle touring, he has kayaked in the San Juan Islands and off the coast of Maine, backpacked the Copper Canyon in Mexico, canoed the Macal River in Belize and winter camped in Alaska’s Denali National Park. Farmer has taught writing and literature at the University of Nebraska and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where he lives with his wife, Joan. Bicycling beyond the Divide is his first book.
More information on Farmer can be discovered by visiting his website at http://www.darylfarmer.com/.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nancy Dickerson held Writing Workshop at January Guild Meeting
Everyone needs writing tips when perfecting their craft and Nancy Dickerson came to rescue with her Writing Workshop at the January meeting. Nancy shared four simple points to remember when writing - (1) Specificity: Be concise with your word choice. Be specific. Use words to form mental pictures for your readers. (2) Oh, the Words: Make a collection list of words and categorize your words. (3) The Education of the Eye: How a writer approaches a subject is based on the individual. (4) Show, Don't Tell: Your word choice sets the tone for the reader. Good writing shows - it doesn't tell. Don't give your reader everything, but pull them in to the story to use their imagination. Along with each writing point, Nancy shared writing passages and examples from several books and authors.
Poetry Readings
Poetry Readings were presented by Ellen Cogswell with her original poems, "The Little White School House" and "Saturday Night Ritual." Vonda Anderson read Robert Anderson's poem creation "Goblin Town" and Nancy Dickerson read "Ode to the Computer." Thanks for sharing your work with the group!
In-House Writing Competition
Suzanne Walker announced an in-house writing competition for the guild members, which runs from January 20 to February 17, 2009. Here are the rules! The competition theme is "a humorous recount of a personal happening." The essay has a two page limit and must be double spaced, typewritten text on white office paper. Participants can submit their essays anonymously to the guild two days prior to the February 17 meeting or bring to the meeting. The mailing address is Lakes Area Arts League, Attoyac Writers' Guild, P O Box 308, Center, TX 75935. At the February meeting, a date will be decided when to review the submitted work. Questions, please contact Suzanne 936.591.1655 or Andi 936.590.0298.
And the Winner is...
Robert Anderson won the door prize! Congrats Robert!
Thanks to our evening hosts, Tresa and Ed Konderla, for allowing the guild to meet at their gallery, Attoyac River Gallery!
February Meeting
Dr. Daryl Farmer, assistant professor with Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of English and Philosophy, will be guest speaker at the Attoyac Writers’ Guild on Tuesday, Feb. 17 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Attoyac River Gallery. Farmer will discuss his own personal writing process and experiences with his topic "What Riding a Bicycle Taught Me about Writing." More information on Farmer can be discovered by visiting his website at http://www.darylfarmer.com/.
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