Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Susan Campbell's Non-Fiction Class

They pledged to continue the conversation online -- that extraordinary collection of writers who met for six sessions in the Mark Twain House & Museum classroom during November and December 2010. Susan Campbell, the feisty Hartford Courant columnist whose memoir of religion and feminism, Dating Jesus, has won praise and prizes, provided wild in-class writing exercises ("Write down what Elizabeth Edwards would be telling John from Heaven"), led far-ranging and passionate discussions. The participants, in turn, wrote heartfelt pieces, ranging from intimate memoirs to biography to strong expository prose. Selections from the works of these students and their teacher (who found the experience profoundly engaging and educating herself) will be appearing on this blog soon. -- Steve Courtney