Writers' Center Broadens its Approach to Prose

When The Hudson Valley Writers Center began over 25 years ago, nurturing poetry was at the heart of its mission.

Since then, the center has grown to embrace many styles and forms of fiction and non-fiction writing – a strategy that has cemented its cultural impact.

"It became a force in the region," said Herbert Hadad, one of the center's numerous workshop instructors. "The population here is rich in education and culture and really needed a resource of this nature."

That same approach that brought the center the the forefront is causing Executive Director Frank Juliano to take a new look at what constitutes creative writing. This year the center will offer a broad range of innovative classes to attract a new generation of writers.

"We're going to start pushing the boundaries a little bit, to think out of the box," Juliano said. "We want to show the Writers' Center is thinking about things that are a little more edgy, a little more exciting, and a little more current. Things that you don't normally associate with the center."

This Thursday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m., the Hudson Valley Writers' Center will host an open house showcasing some of these new classes, and allowing prospective members to meet with instructors.

Most of the new workshops are scheduled for the late summer and early fall, and cover topics such as Haiku, how to write as an artist (for those who can express themselves in many ways but fall short with words), song writing, beginning your novel, and reading your work aloud.

Also of note is the workshop Beyond Trauma and Drama, which will encourage participants to use writing to deal with emotional and traumatic incidents. The instructor of the class has previously worked at the 92nd Street YMCA with holocaust survivors, using writing as a form of therapy.

"We've never done anything like this, that is why I need to have an open house," Juliano said. "Putting this on paper might scare some people off."

The center is also wading into the realm of youth summer camps with Young Voices Shouting Out Loud. The week-long camp will take place in the middle of August and will incorporate hands-on exercises with video, music, and visual arts.

"I'm very excited about the summer camp," Juliano said. "I like the idea of having an intense week of creativity."

The business end of writing will also be broached with workshops on self publishing and a one-day intensive course, scheduled for September, on how to write a write an irresistible non-fiction book proposal.

"We've never touched on the business aspect of the arts, and I think that is an important thing to consider," he said.

While Juliano is excited about the new approach to programming, he said the center will continue to stick to its core programs, and won't be sacrificing the workshops that "get you thinking about yourself in a different way."

The next "core" event at the center is the Twilight Readers' Series with Fawzia Afzal-Khan and Herbert Hadad on Thursday, July 15, 7:30 p.m.

Afzal-Khan and Hadad will be reading from their books which focus on identity – one about growing up female in Pakistan, the other about raising a family between two cultures.

"If you're a first generation American, as I am, you'll find that you are still living in two worlds," Hadad said.

Overall, Juliano belives that core programming and testing the waters with new approaches will further the mission of the HVWC.

"If we don' provide people the opportunity to have a transformational experience then we're not doing our job," he said.

At Thursday's open house, The Hudson Valley Writers' Center will waive registration fees for anyone who signs up for classes at the event. For more information and for an updated schedule of readings, workshops and events, visit their website, www.writerscenter.org, or call 914-332-5953.