July 29th at 6PM | $15.00
"Satire, Parody, Farce, Light Verse, Jokes, Intentional Doggerel and Other Ways of Using Words To Make People Laugh"

There once was a high mountain town
Where big snows could dispel any frown.
Folks would blow out their knees.
Pay medical fees.
Then head out once again to fall down.

The poet James Hoggard once wrote that "the comic muse is the antic child of wisdom." This workshop gives participants an opportunity to cultivate that antic child who sings (and frequently complains and occasionally snarls.) at the heart of the comic genre. Participants may bring  any form of writing, from a play snippet to a poem, short story or essay, as comedy has its own defining characteristics that cut across genres. Participants may also show up with no prepared work, but just ideas, an open mind, and an interest in getting started. The course offers instruction, brief exercises, and the opportunity for feedback from peers in a low-pressure setting. It's also a forum to improve comic timing on the printed page and to find the kernel at the heart of any piece of funny writing. Also, with any luck - we'll have a few laughs. [Everyone should bring writing materials and ten copies of something brief that they have found particularly humorous; those who want to have work critiqued should bring ten copies of up to 500 words, double-spaced.]

David J. Rothman's second book of poems, The Elephant's Chiropractor, was a Finalist for the Colorado Book Award, and his poems and essays on many subjects appear in Appalachia, The Atlantic Monthly, The Gettysburg Review, The Hudson Review, Light, The Kenyon Review, Poetry, and scores of other journals. He also publishes widely in the mountain sports world. He was co-founder and first Executive Director of the Crested Butte Music Festival, the founding Publisher and Editor of Conundrum Press, and served for six years as the Headmaster of a private, independent boarding and day school, Crested Butte Academy. He has taught widely in secondary, higher and continuing education and sits on a number of non-profit boards. He currently teaches part-time at Lighthouse Writers Workshop in Denver and at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and serves as President of the Robinson Jeffers Association. After many years in the mountains, he lives in Lafayette, Colorado, with his wife and two sons.

Walking Words
October 9 & 10
This annual event begins with a progressive literary dinner from 6 to 9PM on Friday, October 9. The evening features appetizers, entrée and dessert at three restaurants, each served with a reading of either poetry, fiction or nonfiction. A cash bar is available at all three locations. Cost for the evening, including tax and tip, is $50. Only 35 seats are available, and the event sells out every year.

For more info on other Writers Guild programs, call Director Amy Cannon at 970.728.6467.

*Talking Gourds Spoken Word Festival

Write Here: Telluride’s Literary Mirror

Writing from the Imaginative Storm with James Navé

*10th Annual Mark Fischer Poetry Prize
2007 Fischer Prize competition closed.

Creating Something Out of Nothing: Storytelling Foundation Workshop
February 19, 2007

Non-Fiction Writing Workshop: Writing Like a Flood
January 30, 2007

Slide Show: Crossing a Sea of Dunes: Journeys in Mexico's Gran Desierto
January 29, 2007

Contest: Want to Get Paid to Write About Your Backyard?
January 2007

Poetry Out Loud*
October 2 - 16, 2006

The Writing Salon
August 18 & 19, 2006
An appreciative inquirty into the creative writing process.

Story Telling Workshop with Joanne Greenberg
July 13, 2006

An Evening of Storytelling with Joanne Greenberg
July 12, 2006

Sould Finding, An Evening with Craig Childs
July 2, 2006

Nature Writing Workshop with Craig Childs
June 30 - July 2, 2006

Write Here, Telluride's Literary Mirror
May 30, 2006

Talking Gourds Spoken Word Festival*
April 21 - 23, 2006

*Annual Event