Creative Writing Department

The Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Writers Workshop is designed to nurture and challenge high school students interested in developing as poets, fiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters, and essayists. The Workshop prepares its participants to pursue writing and related fields in college and beyond. Workshop courses place equal emphasis on the craft of poetry, fiction, and dramatic writing, and the study of literature by writers of many eras, geographies, and sensibilities.

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Update: Former Guest Artist Awarded Prize
Idyllwild Arts would like to congratulate former visiting poet Eric McHenry for winning the Kate Tufts Discovery Award for his book "Potscrubber Lullabies," published by the Waywiser Press.

nytimes.com - Article

CenterStage - 10.13.06 - Eric McHenry Master Class

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Ben Lerner

Former Guest Artist Nominated for Award
The Creative Writing Program at Idyllwild Arts Academy congratulates Ben Lerner on his nomination for the National Book Award. In spring 2006, Ben worked with students at the academy in a series of master classes and workshops. For more information about Ben Lerner, his new book, and the National Book Awards, click here: National Book Awards

Master Classes
Nationally recognized writers or professors of literature visit Creative Writing classes to highlight the particular area of concentration the students are currently working in.  Their presentations are designed to give students an insight into the writing life of an established author and to expose the students to possible careers that can arise from a thorough understanding of literature and the writing process.  Recent guests have included:

Larry Heinemann (winner of the National Book Award for Paco's Story) 

Susan Straight (winner of the Milkweed Fiction Award for Aquaboogie and
National Book Award nominee)

Philip Levine (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for poetry) 

J. Robert Lennon (Novelist, Mailman, On the Night Plain, The Funnies, The Light of Falling Stars, Pieces for the Left Hand. Stories in Best American Short Stories. Professor of English at Cornell University.)

Ben Lerner (Poet, National Book Award finalist for Angle of Yaw. Editor of NO: a journal of the arts. Professor of English at University of Pittsburgh.)

Eric McHenry (Poet, Claremont/Kate Tufts Award winner for Potscrubber Lullabies. Poetry critic for New York Times Book Review.)

Victoria Chang (Poet, award winner for Circle. Editor of Asian American anthology)

James Hoch (Poet, author of Miscreants, published by W.W. Norton.)

M.T. Anderson (National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature, author of Thirsty, Burger Wuss, Feed, The Game of Sunken Places) 

Mixerman (pseudonym of a famous recording engineer).  Published an online diary describing the recording process of a dysfunctional band.  The online diary was then published in hardcover.

Larry Bischof (screenwriter for The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and many other movies and television shows) 

Michael Narducci (writer for USA Network’s The 4400)

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