Mary Anne Mohanraj is running a summer writing workshop, “Writing Your Identity” in the Chicago area. There will be two sessions, each lasting four weeks. The first begins on June 16, the second on July 21.

The full press release is after the jump.

Summer Writing Workshop: Writing Your Identity with Mary Anne Mohanraj (Chicago)

Each and every one of us possess complex identities, which include such elements as race, age, ethnicity, gender, orientation, religion, class, national, political orientation and much more. In this summer workshop, you’ll be encouraged to write your identities through the lens of fiction and/or creative nonfiction. (All prose genres are welcome.) Participants will submit and critique short narratives (or excerpts from novels or novellas), in addition to doing weekly writing exercises. We’ll aim to create powerful stories with rich and compelling characters, while also exploring the basic elements of fiction/non-fiction writing: plot, dialogue, point of view, setting, structure, and more. If time permits, we’ll also address the business of writing — sending out stories and novels, finding an agent, etc.

All levels of writers (including beginners) are welcome. Sessions will meet at Mary Anne’s home in Wicker Park, Chicago. Limited to 15 participants. Snacks and tea will be provided.

Session 1 (four weeks): Mondays, 6/16 – 7/7, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Session 2 (four weeks): Mondays, 7/21 – 8/11, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Pre-registration (until June 14): $75/ 4 week session
Registration: $100/ 4 week session

To register, send e-mail to Mary Anne at m@mamohanraj.com; she’ll send you instructions on where to send your check or PayPal order. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Mary Anne Mohanraj is the author of several books, including Bodies in Motion (HarperCollins 2005), an exploration of sexuality, marriage, and Sri Lankan/American immigrant concerns. Bodies in Motion was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards. She has also recently published a children’s picture book, The Poet’s Journey. Mohanraj has received an Illinois Arts Council fellowship in Prose, a Neff fellowship in English, a Steffenson-Canon fellowship in the Humanities, and the Scowcroft Prize for Fiction. She received an MFA from Mills College, and her Ph.D. from the University of Utah, specializing in post-colonial literature and creative writing.

Mohanraj teaches fiction and Asian-American literature at Northwestern University. She has previously taught creative writing and literature at Roosevelt University and the University of Utah. Mohanraj is currently writing a nonfiction travelogue/memoir, tentative titled Arbitrary Passions, as well as a YA fantasy novel and a mainstream literary novel. She lives in Chicago with her partner Kevin and their daughter Kavya. Learn more at http://www.maryannemohanraj.com.