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DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTATION FOR MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS
(re. Children’s Books)
I am equally at home with audiences from pre-school age to
adults. Time is usually provided for the autographing of books.
(for older youth & adults)
Marc Harshman
CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP (older students)
The workshop begins with a discussion that addresses the
practical need for detail in the creation of convincing writing.
In this activity I will use personal examples, diagrams, and
student response to illustrate the movement from generality
to detail.
Prior to beginning the central writing activity of the workshop,
I will briefly describe free-writing (also called pre-writing).
Here I will not only describe the basic procedures, but provide
a background of this activity’s utility.
The centerpiece of the workshop will be a written exploration
of scars (metaphor may be changed depending upon the nature
of the participants) that will allow students to utilize not
only their previous discussion of detail and free writing,
but also to draw upon their memories and senses in the creation
of a short story or reminiscence.
Before the conclusion of the workshop, I will also illustrate
how the revision process can be brought to bear upon the subsequent
shaping of this day’s writing.
WRITING AND STORYTELLING WORKSHOP (younger students)
This workshop will include participatory storytelling activities,
as well as an examination of the author’s written texts
as the basis for understanding both writing and revision.
As children learn to “tell” the oral stories they
will hear, they will have reinforced for them the rhythms
and images that enable any story to be “retold.”
As regards writing I will take one story (ALL THE WAY TO MORNING)
and have the children create “their own” page
to add to this cumulative tale. This also helps to personalize
this distinctively multi-cultural story. With another story
(ONLY ONE) the children will brainstorm alternative lines
and in the process be introduced to what it might mean to
“revise” a story of their own.
ACTIVITIES FOR GRADES K & 1
Storytelling may include the following: Little Orphan Annie,
The Gunnywolf, The Frog Trap, Grandpa’s Courtin Grandma,
The Princess and the Pea, How Rabbit Brought Fire, Epanimondas,
and Sody Saleratus. Written texts to be shared in their entirety
may include the author’s books, ONLY ONE, ALL THE WAY
TO MORNING, ROADS, as well as excerpts from his others. The
author will offer age-appropriate reflections upon the importance
of reading, writing, and school.
DESCRIPTION OF STORYTELLING WORKSHOP
Titled Finding and Telling, I emphasize in this hands-on
workshop not only how to tell* stories, but how to make selections
best suited to particular age groups. My introductory remarks
will briefly outline the history of storytelling in an effort
to place our activities in context. In addition to discussing
the selection process, I will highlight such topics as setting,
voice, pace, and adaptation of specific stories. I will supply
a simply outline for telling to participants, as well as teach
these same individuals a story or two they can take home.
*This need not imply memorized storytelling but should include
simple oral reading aloud of picture and story books.
READINGS
I can present a reading of either my poems or my children’s
stories. I have also presented readings in which I have read
from both. I am accustomed to accepting questions from the
audience at the conclusion to the reading.
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