Why Write?: Young Writers on Writing (11am session)
Taught by Jennifer Guerra and Brian Short
Ages 8-11, 10 students
Saturday, July 25 (one session): 11-11:45am

Do you like to write? Why? What advice do you have for other writers? What's a great piece of advice you've heard from someone else? What do you do when you can't write? What do you write FOR?

We know what you're thinking: SO MANY QUESTIONS. Do you have SO MANY ANSWERS? Then sign up for this workshop and let your voice be heard! In this workshop, we'll talk about what we like and don't like about writing and why. THEN Michigan Radio's Jennifer Guerra is going to turn it into an awesome podcast for the National Day of Writing, which will be posted on our website AND in the National Gallery of Writing on the National Council of Teachers of English website. That's quite a mouthful!

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Jennifer Guerra headed to New York for a life in the theatre. Two years later, she traded in her tap shoes for a pair of headphones and a digital recorder, and began her career in public radio. While in New York, Jennifer earned her Master's in Broadcast Journalism from Fordham University, was an award-winning producer for WFUV-FM, wrote music reviews, perfected her bocce skills, and traveled as much as her public radio budget would allow. In 2005, she made her way back to the Midwest to join Michigan Radio as an arts producer and local host of Weekend Edition. Jennifer now works as a reporter at the station specializing in coverage of arts and culture.

Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, Brian Short has lived in Northern California, Southern Japan, and Eastern Michigan. His work has appeared in Alembic, Fourteen Hills, Kalliope, Monday Night, and Problem Child Magazine. In May 2009, Brian received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, where his writing earned him a Hopwood Award and a Zell Post-Graduate Fellowship. He prefers swimming to sledding.

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