The San Francisco Writers' Grotto is a place where professional storytellers practice their craft. Here you'll find the latest news about the Grotto and its inhabitants.

San Francisco Magazine hails the Grotto writing classes in its Best of the Bay Area issue! http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/write-novel

Summer classes start in July...get more info at http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes

 

 


Mina Dresden Gallery honors ZYZZYVA editor Howard Junker with an exhibition featuring small works on paper done in black and white by artists who have appeared in the journal during its first 24 years.

June 20 – July 18, 2009

Opening reception: Saturday, 20 June, 6-8 pm

Mina Dresden Gallery, 312 Valencia at 14th st., San Francisco 94103

Gallery open by appointment. 415-863-8312.  www.minadresden.com



SF WRITERS GROTTO ANNOUNCES SUMMER WRITING CLASSES

Summer is the best time to hone your writing skills. And the SF Writers Grotto is offering a summer smorgasbord of one-day and multi-week classes.

Writers' Sampler Menu - A tapas menu of different non-fiction genres: Travel Writing (July 8), Food Writing (July 15), Personal Essay and Memoir (July 22), Better Blogging and Breaking into Magazines (July 29). Sign up for one or more of these 2 hour sessions - $45 per class, or $150 for the series. Taught by Laura Fraser, author of 'An Italian Affair,' contributor to 'Travel & Leisure,' 'Gourmet,' 'The New York Times,' and winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Essay Writing.

Fiction Bootcamp - Everything you wanted to know (and didn't know you wanted to know) about the craft of writing fiction. This one-day, hands-on workshop will teach you how to plot, organize, and write a terrific story (or novel). Saturday, July 11, 10 am - 4 pm. $155. Taught by Janis Cooke Newman, author of the novel, 'Mary,' chosen as a BookSense Year-End Pick, the Best Historical Novel of 2006 by USA Today, and a Finalist for an LA Times Book Prize.

Master Class: Workshop your Non-Fiction - This class will give experienced writers an opportunity to workshop their pieces and get professional feedback. Thursday evenings, July 9 - 30. $150. Taught by Laura Fraser, author of 'An Italian Affair,' contributor to 'Travel & Leisure,' 'Gourmet,' 'The New York Times,' and winner of an International Association of Culinary Professionals Award for Essay Writing.

Memoir Writing: Fact is Not Truth - Memoir and the Art of Honesty - What does truth in memoir really mean? This class will help writers examine the personal story they're trying to tell, and how they can best tell it. Using a combination of in-class writing and reading, students will find the truth that drives their story. Three Monday evenings, August 3 - 17, with an optional fourth session for personal critique. $195 (optional critique session $75). Taught by Rachel Howard, author of 'The Lost Night: A Daughter's Search for the Truth of Her Father's Murder, one of the SF Chronicles Best Books of 2005.

For more information - and to register - visit the SF Writers Grotto website: http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html


Helena and Steve will be reading their contributions to Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex tonight at the Center for Sex and Culture.

Details at http://sexandculture.org/component/events/?task=view_detail&agid=132

May Grotto Notes

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Don't Miss THE RAMEN KING this month, Plus May Classes!

 ANDY LAUNCHES "THE RAMEN KING AND I" AT BOOKSMITH, MAY 12

Grottoite Andy Raskin will launch his new book, "THE RAMEN KING AND I: How the Inventor of Instant Noodles Fixed My Love Life" on Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 pm @ The Booksmith (1644 Haight, SF). Andy will read and sign copies, and True Sake (the sake boutique in Hayes Valley) will pour free sake tastings. For more about the book -- including a video of Grottoites guessing how the inventor of instant ramen fixed Andy's love life -- visit Andy's web site: http://www.andyraskin.com

MAY WRITING CLASSES AT THE GROTTO!

For May, we're offering two terrific classes:

Short Story Writing, 3 Saturdays, May 2, 9 & 16, 3 pm to 5 pm, $375

This class is being taught by National Book Award Winner, Victor Martinez, and by Peter Orner, author of a New York Times Notable Book, and a Finalist for a Los Angeles Times Book Award.

How to Break into Travel Writing, Saturday, May 9, 10 am to 4 pm, $155 (Note: This class is limited to 6 students.)

Taught by Janis Cooke Newman, who has written travel for the LA Times, SF Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, Backpacker magazine, and for four Travelers Tales anthologies.

For more information - and to sign up - visit http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html

How To Break Into Travel Writing - Sat. May 9

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If you've ever thought about selling your travel stories, this one-day, hands-on workshop is the place to start. We promise you'll end the day with the beginnings of a terrific (and marketable) story - along with strategies about how (and where) to sell it.

10 am to 4 pm, $155

(Note: This class is limited to 6 students.)

Instructor Janis Cooke Newman's travel writing has appeared in the LA Times, SF Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, Backpacker magazine, and in four Travelers Tales anthologies.

For more information, or to register, click here

The Grotto's Molly Antopol on TAL

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The Grotto's Molly Antopol is on last week's This American Life! 

Listen: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=378

Grottoite Katie Crouch's debut novel, Girls In Trucks, is now a New York Times best-selling paperback. Congratualtions, Katie!

Learn more about the book at Katie's website, http://www.katiecrouch.com

There are still a few seats open for Ethan's 8-week non-fiction class. See more on the Classes page.

April Grotto Notes

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GROTTO CLASSES KICK OFF WITH 3 WORKSHOPS THIS WEEKEND

The spring session of writing classes begins this weekend with 3 terrific workshops:

Will Write for Food, Saturday, April 4, with Laura Frasier
Fiction Bootcamp, Saturday, April 4, with Janis Cooke Newman
Writing from Personal Experience, Sunday, April 5, with Stephen Elliott

There are a few spaces left! Visit the Grotto website http://www.sfgrotto.org/classes.html for more details, and to register.

Contact

San Francisco Writers' Grotto
490 2nd Street, 2nd Fl.
San Francisco, CA 94107
[View Map]
Email: the word "info" followed by "@" and "sfgrotto.org"
Phone: There is no Grotto phone number.