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Chad Faries has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from UW-Milwaukee and has taught writing and literature in the United States and Europe. His poetic memoir, The Border Will Be Soon, was the winner of the 2006 Emergency Press book competition which went on to win the 2006 Gran Prix Prize for poetry from the International Academy Orient-Occident in Romania. His memoir, Some Houses, is seeking a commercial publisher. One of The Muse's most popular teachers, Chad recently moved to Savannah, Georgia where he is an Assistant Professor of English.
Classes taught: Photography & Writing Workshop, Memoir Writing Workshop.
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Website: www.afariestale.com.
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Tim Farrington is the author of a number of novels, including The Monk Upstairs, Lizzie's War, the NY Times Notable Book The Monk Downstairs, and Love in All the Wrong Places (as Frank Devlin). His short stories and essays have been published in ZYZZVA, The Sun, and San Francisco Magazine. He lives in Virginia Beach.
Classes taught: Introduction to Fiction Writing, Fiction Writing 2, Summer Intensive.
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Alan Flanders has an M.A. in English from Hollins College with an emphasis on Creative Writing, a Ph.D. and an advanced degree in English Local History from Oxford. He has also been a poetry and non-fiction contributor at the Breadloaf Writers Conference, Middlebury College. For the last 25 years he has written a column for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. Flanders also hosted Century, an Emmy award winning public television documentary on Hampton Roads history. His contributions to local and national television productions include serving as naval historian for a live CBS News broadcast worldwide of the JFK, Jr. burial at sea and numerous commentaries on local, regional and national history topics. He has published eight books and numerous articles in American Heritage, Gourmet, and American History Magazine.
Classes taught: Creative Non-Fiction Writing Workshop.
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Colin is a published novelist, short-story writer, translator, journalist, teacher, and tireless self-promoter. He is from England, but don’t hold that against him. He has also lived in Marseille, Johannesburg, and Lisbon, and recently moved to downtown Norfolk from New York City where, apart from the above, he was a multi-media artist and party promoter, furniture designer, and would-be poster boy for a generation. But creative writing is his life, his love, and perhaps one day, his source of income.
Classes taught: Contemplating Your Novel, Fiction Workshop 2: Other Voices, Other Lives, LGBT Memories in Memoir.
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Lisa Hartz is a co-founder and co-director of The Muse. She earned an MA in English Writing from Hollins College and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Miami, where she taught composition and creative writing. At The Muse, Lisa has lead workshops and studios in memoir/creative non-fiction and poetry. Her work has appeared in poet lore, The GW Review, The Dos Passos Review, Bayou, miller's pond and other publications. A freelance writer in history and the arts, Lisa is currently at work on a poetry collection. After taking a sabbatical this fall to spend time with her new baby (and fourth boy), she has returned to The Muse to continue leading the Memoir Studio.
Classes taught: Memoir/Creative Non-Fiction Writing Workshop, Memoir Writing Workshop, Poetry Writing Workshop, Memoir Writing Studio, An Exploration of the Prose Poem.
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Patti Hinson holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from American University where her collection of personal essays, Pulls Like Gravity, was awarded the Myra Sklarew Prize for Outstanding Thesis. Her prose and poetry have been featured in a variety of venues, literary and otherwise, including past and current photography exhibits at The Mariners’ Museum.
Classes taught: Memoir Workshop: Personal Narratives, Memoir Workshop: Personal Narratives 2, Introduction to Writing Poetry.
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Rick Hite is Professor Emeritus of Theater/Communications at Virginia Wesleyan College. He holds degrees from Dartmouth College (B.A. Spanish), The Johns Hopkins University (M.A. Romance Languages and Literatures), and Michigan State University (Ph.D. Theater/Communications). His theater career as actor, director, producer, translator, and playwright spans more years than he wants to admit. He has published plays, translations, and poetry in the U. S. and Spain and has had works produced both here and abroad.
Classes taught: Playwriting Workshop.
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Michael writes poetry and fiction as well as editorials, profiles, and features for Hampton Roads Magazine. He is the poetry editor for Portfolio Weekly and a web content manager for The American Council on Education. He attended USC as an undergraduate and graduate student (MPW with three theses: fiction, poetry, screenplay) and has studied under poets James Ragan, William Matthews, and Yevgeny Yevtushenko and writers Betty Friedan, Shelly Berman, Paul Gillette, John Rechy, Ben Masselink, Sy Gomberg, Shana Alexander, and Gay Talese. In Los Angeles, he worked in film and on the radio while teaching neuroscience at USC and poetry, drama, and acting in the city. He is a co-founder of The Muse.
Classes taught: Poetry Writing Workshop, Poetry Writing Workshop 2, Poetry Studio, Summer Poetry Intensive Studio, Fiction Writing Workshop, Fiction Writing Workshop 2, Fiction Studio, Summer Fiction Intensive Studio.
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Janine Latus is the award-winning author of If I Am Missing or Dead, a memoir that made both the New York and London Times bestseller lists and which was written scene-by-scene in workshops just like the one she’s teaching at the Muse. She has taught writing across the country, including at the University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin and East Carolina University. She has written for O, the Oprah magazine, Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Parents, Attache, American Way and many other magazines and websites. She currently is fishing around for her next book idea.
Classes taught: Writing from Life.
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Karla Martin is a writer and journalist with WHRO-TV/WHRV Radio, the PBS Station in Norfolk, Virginia. A former news reporter and producer in Huntington, West Virginia and Norfolk, Virginia, Martin is a graduate of The Ohio State University School of Journalism and a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Martin is the co-author of Logan's Journey (Dove Foundation Seal, Mom’s Choice Awards&#reg; Gold Recipient, Book Sense Children's Pick).
Classes taught: Children's Book Writing Workshop.
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Abbie McGee recieved a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Old Dominion University in 1984. She currently teaches English 12 and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition at Kellam High School in Virginia Beach. Her passions include writing, her children, swimming, music, and the Boston Red Sox. Her favorite poets include Marianne Moore, Billy Collins, Byron, Elizabeth Bishop, and Sylvia Plath, among others. "All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath." —F. Scott Fitzgerald
Classes taught: Summer Poetry Workshop, Introduction to Writing Poetry.
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Daniel Pearlman Pravda was born in Norfolk and raised in Virginia Beach. He blossomed into an English major at the University of Maryland and did his M.F.A. in poetry at George Mason. His concentration in poetry has seeped into other genres such as fiction and music. His work, published in numerous journals, including The Washington Review, Phoebe, Grasslands Review, Poet's Domain, Beltway, and others, shows attention to small detail from natural to urban settings. He was interviewed on NPR's "With Good Reason" in June 2006 as part of their Virginia Poets series. He has taught English and Creative Writing at Norfolk State University since 1996.
Classes taught: Poetry Writing Workshop, Poetry Workshop 2: Craft of Poetry.
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Tom Robotham is the editor-in-chief of Port Folio Weekly. His weekly column, "Editor’s Notebook," frequently explores spiritual themes. Prior to taking the job at Port Folio nine years ago, Tom worked as a freelance writer, book packager and video producer. During this period, he wrote several books on American history and culture and produced a companion volume to the A&E television series Charlton Heston presents the Bible. He holds a B.A. in English from the State University of New York, Plattsburgh and an M.A. in American Studies from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is currently at work on a book about Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Classes taught: Spiritual Writing Workshop, The Art of the Essay.
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Kathy Sarosdy received her degree in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis from Old Dominion University in 1985. While in school, she edited the student literary magazine, Dominion Review, for two years. She has worked as an administrative assistant for a plastic surgeon, an editor for an engineering firm, and a teacher for Virginia Beach Public Schools. She currently teaches Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, an analytical writing course, to eleventh graders, and serves as Chair of the English Department at Kellam High School. She subscribes to Emily Dickinson's definition of poetry: "If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." Her favorite poems include Yeats’ "Lapis Lazuli," Shakespeare’s "Sonnet 29," Mary Oliver’s "When Death Comes," and Tony Hoagland’s "America."
Classes taught: Summer Poetry Workshop.
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Kip Watson is a Tidewater native who picked up his first movie camera at age 15. In 1984, he attended VCU in Richmond where he earned a B.A. in filmmaking and film history. His senior project was a music video airing on MTV's 120 minutes. Kip worked on many feature films shot regionally and was involved in local television. He studied feature screenwriting at Regent University in the early 90's. From 1999 to 2003, Kip worked in Los Angeles as a script reader for independent producers and as a creative executive. He has written 5 scripts and was a finalist in Paramount Studios' prestigious Chesterfield Screenwriting competition. While in Los Angeles he studied with industry guru Michael Hauge and read hundreds of screenplays for consideration. IFC West (now Film Independent) hired him to cover scripts for their screenwriting and directing labs. Since returning to Norfolk, Kip has produced, shot and appeared in many commercials and infomercials. Currently he freelances as a script doctor and story developer. Kip also recently became licensed by the Darden School of Education to teach elementary school, and hopes to teach the next generation the value of storytelling.
Classes taught: Screenwriting Workshop, Screenwriting 2: One-on-One Intensives.
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Brian Wrestler is Virginia native and world traveler. He is recognized by Virginia Theatre Association and South Eastern Theatre Conference for his historical one act plays. Brian graduated Christopher Newport University with a Bachelor's in English Language Arts and studied at University College Dublin as a James Joyce Scholar. His theatrical experience includes Chesapeake's "Shakespeare in the Grove" and has been a featured actor in film, television and Norfolk's own 40th Street Stage. August Wilson and Arthur Miller are among his favorite playwrights. "All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed" —Sean O'Casey.
Classes taught: Playwright’s Workshop.
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