And what a summer it was! The first time back in-person since the beginning of the pandemic. The first time back on campus at Drew University since 2019. The first time working with hybrid students. There were many firsts at the 2021 Summer Creative Writing Intensives and, boy, was it breathtaking in more ways than one.
We hope you enjoy this peek into what we did, how we did it, and how much fun we had. And don’t forget to read a sampling of this summer’s amazing student writing in the 2021 Writers Circle Journal.
COVID Safety First
The welcoming committee: two of our interns, Bela and Jake.
Writing inside and out!
Here's Michelle Cameron teaching Elements of Fiction outside Brothers College. She loves her whiteboard!
Just because we’re writers doesn’t mean we can’t have fun!
After a morning of creativity and concentration, it's nice to get outside, unmask, and make friends.
Writing is NOT a lonely business.
"Wiffleball Words," our crazy, toss-and-write morning prompt.
How to handle hybrid creatively:
We were serious when we said we'd "carry the virtual kids around with us."
Writing is more than words on a page.
When writing, use all your senses. How? Stand up and close your eyes. Imagine. Listen. Sniff. Touch. Taste...
And then there were Wednesdays and our Literary Adventures!
Week 1: Murder in the Woods at the Deserted Village of Feltville.
We started by exploring the wilds of the woods and wondering what might have happened here all those years ago.
Week 2: Medieval Mashup Mini-Series on the campus at Drew U.
We're going on a quest. A magical quest. Props and costumes required!
Week 3: Enviro-Dystopia at the Freylingheusen Arboretum.
Behold, a beautiful garden filled with writers, the last bastion of green in a world destroyed by climate disaster.
Get ready… it’s time for our weekly reading.
No week at the Summer Intensive would be complete without our "Friends and Family Reading." But this summer with masking, social distancing, and hybrid students, we opted for a "Writing Friends Only" reading instead.
Throughout all three weeks, we made friends, worked together, and had a ball.
No summer would be complete without at least one official Writers Circle!
This summer, more than ever, the Intensives would not have been possible without our truly incredible staff.
Our Fantastic Instructors
Libby Cudmore taught Once Upon a Crime in Week 1.
Our Indispensable Interns
Bela interned with us all three weeks! She's a sophomore at Haverford College.
The One, The ONLY Rebecca, our Summer Intensive Program Coordinator
Rebecca Kilroy, Program Coordinator, does it all!
The Writers Circle’s (exhausted, but very proud) Directors
Michelle and Judith, masked but shoulder-to-shoulder, as always!
