Putting the CREATIVE back in to Creative Nonfiction! - with Rachel Kolman

Saturday, March 14, 2026

10 AM - 3 PM

ONLINE

Many writers of nonfiction may think the rules of other genres don't apply to them. They may think that the truth of their story, or accuracy of their research, needs to drive their project. Not true! In fact, the best creative nonfiction pulls elements from fiction and poetry and plays with form in new and interesting ways. In this course, you'll learn how to fuse elements of other writing genres into your essays, memoir, or research writing to create compelling nonfiction prose that will delight readers. You'll also learn about the variety of forms an essay can take, including lyric, collage, hermit crab, and more. Students will leave this course with either one polished new essay or memoir chapter and the motivation and inspiration to complete the rest of their project.

Rachel Kolman is an essayist, instructor, and freelancer based in Seattle. She earned her MFA in nonfiction writing from Rosemont College in 2022. In 2022, she was also the Writer-In-Residence at the Jack Kerouac House in Orlando, FL. Her nonfiction essays have been published in AutoFocus, Olit, Press Pause, The Bookends Review, and others. Her essay "Y2k" was shortlisted for the december magazine nonfiction prize. She currently teaches English courses at Seattle Central College.

Character and Conflict: How To Craft Them So Your Readers Will Care - with Jodi Monster

Saturday, March 21, 2026

10 AM - 3 PM

Community Center Board Room

*Lunch Included

It all starts with your protagonist: what do they actually want. Not what they think they want, or what they’ve been taught to want, but what they actually want. As your story opens, your protagonist must be in hot pursuit of whatever it is they think they want. But to keep your story interesting—and to keep your readers turning pages through the messy middle—you’ll need to provide your readers with glimpses of what’s really driving, and thwarting, your protagonist’s quest. (Some people call this raising the stakes.) In this one-day master class, we’ll work through a series of getting-to-know-your-protagonist exercises designed to reveal the motivations and fears your protagonist has kept hidden, even from themself. Because isn’t this why we read—because real life rarely offers us an all-access pass to the messiest, most-conflicted corners of the human heart. Give your readers this, and not only will they care, they might even fall just a little bit in love.

Jodi Monster is a fiction writer living in suburban Philadelphia. She holds a BA in Art History from Dartmouth College, an MA in Art History from the University of Chicago and an MFA in Fiction from Temple University. A winner of the Frances Israel Prize for fiction, she currently teaches creative writing at Temple and The College of New Jersey.

Memoir as Literary Nonfiction: A Survey Course in Reading and Writing Memoir - with Tracy Kauffman Wood

Saturday, April 11, 2026

10 AM - 3 PM

Community Center Board Room

*Lunch Included

Students will write a memoir vignette influenced by the style, or another element of their reading, and be encouraged to share this for peer and instructor review. Particular emphasis will be placed on the devices that transform memoir into literary, creative non-fiction, as well as the techniques that transform memoir into creative, literary non-fiction. What separates memoir from fiction or journalism? Overall, the students will seek to answer the questions: What is memory? What is truth? Is it even possible to tell an absolutely true story? Is it necessary?

Tracy Kauffman Wood is an award winning writer whose work bridges creativity, reflection, and storytelling. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Rosemont College and a MA in Education from Maharishi International University. Her memoir, Our Dementia, was released in 2020 by Auctus Publishers and her short work has appeared in Memoirist.org, WomensMemoirs.com, PBS, Rathalla Review, and others. She's taught writing at Temple University and now serves as a professional writing tutor at Delaware County Community College.

Goldmines: Digging Deep to Find Writing Gems - with Donna Kennedy Maccherone

Saturday, April 25, 2026

10 AM - 3 PM

Community Center Board Room

*Lunch Included

This class will guide writers to excavate ideas, memories, and human encounters that can be shaped and polished to produce poems, essays, works of fiction, lyrics or memoir pieces. Using prompts developed by Donna for her Zen Wise Writers workshops, students will find new thought channels that will lead them to rich writing. The course is open to writers at all levels— from those who journal privately to those who have already been published. At the completion of the course, students will have a wealth of insights about themselves as writers, a bounty of first drafts, and a treasure trove of material for future projects.

Donna Kennedy Maccherone, founder of Zen Wise Writers, has been guiding adolescent and adult writers in their craft for 40 years. She holds a BA in English Literature and an MA in Writing Studies from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia. Her work has been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Tiferet Journal, Collateral, ParentCo, Kaatskill Life, Paterson Literary Review, East By Northeast Literary Magazine, BrainChild, The Weight of Motherhood, a Moonstone Arts anthology, and Persimmon Tree.

Don't Diss Me, I'm Able: Crafting Authentic Disability Representation in the Main Character - with Rosalba Ugliuzza

Saturday, May 9, 2026

10 AM - 3 PM

Community Center Board Room

*Lunch Included

Children’s, middle grade, and young adult books have the opportunity to portray and celebrate the diversity of bodies and the variety of ways that people process and navigate throughout the world. Authentic disability representation in these books is imperative because it breaks stereotypes, makes connections, and centers and respects the disability experience. In this course, we will discuss how the disability theme has changed over the years in children’s literature. By doing so, we will examine some contemporary middle grade and young adult books that feature fully developed main characters with disabilities.

Rosalba Ugliuzza has worked in the publishing industry as an editor, copywriter and translator for over 10 years. In 2019, she graduated from Rosemont College's MA in Publishing program. Her capstone project Don’t Diss Me, I’m Able was awarded both Thesis of the Year and Thesis with Distinction. In addition, she's studied Children’s Book Writing with Rosemont alum, National Book Award finalist and two-time Newbery Medalist, Erin Entrada Kelly.