YOUR story is The American story. In this workshop we will draw from our real lives, experiences, and chorus of diverse voices, in an attempt to redefine the identity of this beautiful country, and our unique place within it. When pulling from the material of our real lives the process can grow unwieldy, and at times it can feel like you’re lost amid a clutter of ideas, story particles, voices, images, memories, and purpose. In this workshop, participants will engage in discussions, writing prompts and techniques, with the aim of developing practical tools for corralling our ideas, while at the same time pushing ourselves creatively beyond our comfort zones. Some topics regarding the writing process will include: questions of ethics when writing from real life, and practical concerns with craft, such as organization, plot, concept. The overall theme will be telling “our story” and what that means in the context of this country we call home. This workshop, lead by author Tim Z. Hernandez, who has written award winning books in multiple genres, including poetry, historical fiction, and nonfiction, is designed to encourage writers of all levels to strengthen, develop, and embolden their approach to story-making.
Tim Z. Hernandez is an award-winning author, performer, and documentary filmmaker. His work includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and he is the recipient of the American Book Award, and the International Latino Book Award. His work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, C-Span, NPR’s Latino USA, and many others. In 2018 he was recognized by the California Senate for his research on locating the victims of the 1948 plane wreck at Los Gatos Canyon, the incident made famous by Woody Guthrie’s song of the same name, which is chronicled in his book, All They Will Call You, and the sequel, They Call You Back. Hernandez holds an M.F.A. in Writing & Literature from Bennington College, and he is an Associate Professor with the University of Texas El Paso’s Bilingual Creative Writing program. He lives in El Paso, Texas with his two children. You can find more info at www.timzhernandez.com
