Okay, two quick things. First, the Lit Events calendar is stocked full. There might be a few events I've missed (if you know of anything, please give me a heads up) but I think I've got just about everything. Browse & enjoy.

Secondly, here's a letter from Barb Shoup, the executive director of the Writers' Center, about the upcoming workshop at UIndy with YA authors John Green and Doug Crandell. The letter was originally meant for teachers, but at this point I think we can open it up to all interested parties.

Dear Teachers—

A week or so ago, you (may have) received an e-mail from the Writers’ Center of Indiana inviting you and five of your students to attend a special writing workshop with John Green on Monday, February 8 or with Doug Crandell on Thursday, February 11. Pretty much across the board, teachers have responded that requests to attend the programs were turned down due to lack of funding for substitutes.

We are rescheduling these workshops as after-school events with the hope that you and/or your students will be able to take advantage of the extraordinary experience of meeting and working with two accomplished writers, whose work has special appeal to teenagers.

In each case, students will hear a short talk about creative writing, participate in a writing exercise, and have the opportunity to ask the authors questions.

John Green

Monday, February 8

4:00-5:30 p.m.

Wheeler Art Center

1035 Sanders Street # 111

Indianapolis, IN

John Green is the author of three best-selling novels for young adults, Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Catherines and Paper Towns. Looking for Alaska won Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature, and was a finalist for the L.A. Times Book Prize. For more information about John Green and his books, visit www.sparksflyup.com.

Doug Crandell

Thursday, February 11

4:00-5:30 p.m.

Wheeler Art Center

1035 Sanders Street #112

Indianapolis, IN

Doug Crandell is the author of The Flawless Skin of Ugly People, Hairdos of Mildly Depressed, The All America Industrial Motel, Pig Boy’s Wicked Bird and Fear Came to Town. His short stories and essays have been anthologized in Mother Knows: 24 Tales of Motherhood; Stories From the Blue Moon Café: An Anthology of Southern Writers; and When I Was a Loser: True Stories of Barely Surviving High School. Doug has won grants and fellowship competitions from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Hohenberg Foundation, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. For more information about Doug Crandell and his books visit www.dougcrandell.com.

John Green will give a free reading at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, February 8 in Good Hall Recital Hall; Doug Crandell will give a free reading at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10 in Good Hall Recital Hall—both as part of the Kellogg Visiting Writers Series. These events are open to all teachers students, without reservation.

Driving Directions: http://www.uindy.edu/cpc/directions.php

Fountain Square Map: http://www.uindy.edu/cpc/images/cpc_color.jpg

Please contact Bryan Furuness at furuness@gmail.com as soon as possible to let him know if you or your students plan to attend. Students may attend without a teacher, but please send Bryan the names of those you invite.

Please forward this e-mail to teachers you think might be interested in attending.

Hope to see you there!

Barbara Shoup

Executive Director

Writers’ Center of Indiana

P.S. I would love to hear from you about what kinds of programs the Writers’ Center of Indiana might provide for you and your students in the future.