“Workshops are wonderful places to experiment and stretch, and even better places to find a writing community to inspire,” she further explained. Sandy studied at the Banff Centre for Fine Arts and was mentored by both professional writers and playwrights. She also taught high-school English and creative writing courses, wrote numerous plays, and published a book of short stories.
“It's been fun to write playfullyand we did some deep self-reflection too,” said Lori Guenther Reesor (MTS 2008), workshop participant. “In my favourite homework exercise, I wrote a letter to my middle-school self on December 9, 1980, the day after John Lennon was shot. I'm still processing that letter.”
Sandy’s creative writing workshop gathered people from different walks of life and helped the participants make new connections as well as reflect on their writing. “I joined the writing workshop as a way of connecting with other MTS students and alumni and because having some structure around writing helps me to actually write!" said Lori. “Grebel students come from a variety of backgrounds, and I wonder how we can celebrate that diversity more.”
The MTS program at Grebel draws together faculty and students from diverse academic disciplines, giving students the opportunity to test ideas, develop skills and self-understanding, and to learn from others in the program.
By: Ashitha Mantrawadi