|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tanya Maria Barrientos
Tanya Maria Barrientos has been a newspaper reporter, editor, columnist and humorist for 24 years. Most of her career was spent writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she covered everything from hurricanes and fires to the execution of serial killer Ted Bundy and not one, not two, but three Miss America Pageants. Her humor essays were published as a column called "Unconventional Wisdom” and most recently have been broadcast as occasional commentaries on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. She is also the author of two novels, published by New American Library/Penguin-Putnam, Frontera Street and Family Resemblance (released in Poland under the title Rodzinne Podobienstwo, which Tanya hopes does not translate into anything unsavory). Her fiction was awarded the prestigious Pew Fellowship in Arts in 2001 and also the Pennsylvania Council in the Arts Fellowship. Frontera Street was a Literary Guild selection, and both books have been recognized by Villanova University and Rosemont College and “must reads” for students and parents. Born in Guatemala and raised in El Paso, Texas, Barrientos graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with a BJ degree. She has led numerous national writing seminars and has taught both fiction and non-fiction writing classes at the University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College. Selected Publications: Frontera Street (New American Library, New York, NY, 2002) Family Resemblance (New American Library, New York, NY, 2003) Border-Line Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish On Sex, Sass & Cultural Shifting (Harper Collins 2004) Teaching Philosophy: Ask anyone who has ever accomplished anything and they’ll tell you they had help. From somebody who took interest. From somebody who took the time. From somebody who showed them how. In other words, a mentor. I believe my role as a teacher/mentor is to help writers the way I would want to be helped – through discussion of both big ideas and small concerns, the exchange of honest and constructive criticism, instructive line editing, and heaps of encouragement. Writing is a solitary endeavor, but that doesn’t mean a student needs to feel isolated. Together we can find the strengths and weaknesses in a piece of writing, revise and restructure. We can identify and discuss literary resources that inspire, and basically establish a give-and-take relationship focused on making the writing the best it can be. Because I come from a newspaper/magazine background, I am a stickler for accuracy in non-fiction. Creative, to me, does not mean untrue. I fully embrace the creative part of creative non-fiction, but it should never get out of hand. If that is the genre you choose, we will work diligently on recreating scenes, infusing prose with literary elements such as foreshadowing, character development, dramatic arc, conflict and symbolism. We will work diligently on turning a personal story into a wider tale with universal themes. To that end, I will suggest readings and exercises that will serve as both encouragement and practical demonstrations of technique. As we work together, that list will become more focused on your particular needs. Conversely, as a novelist, I believe fiction writers can benefit from employing some journalism skills, namely paying attention to details and realizing that stories can differ when seen from different POVs.
I have a particular interest in humor writing, and would enjoy teaming up with anybody who recognizes that writing funny (in fiction and non-fiction) is hard work. I like to line-edit, so packets will be returned to you with lots of margin notes and suggestions. In my own writing, I work individual sentences over and over again until I feel they not only “sound” right, but also say precisely what I want them to say. I believe in making every word count and will look at manuscripts in that manner. That said, I also realize that writing styles differ, and I will strive to respect the artistic integrity of the manuscripts I read. When the manuscript is returned to you, specifics will be noted directly on the pages. I’ll let you know what I think works, and what doesn’t. The bigger issues of structure, themes and overall direction will be dealt with in a longer email. Ideally, both the line edits and the email will spark a dialogue we can continue over the telephone, or online. The readings for critical annotation will be a mix of books, essays and articles you want to read and additional items I believe will lend insight into your particular project. I’d like the annotations to be both a thoughtful study of the literary technique and a personal response as a writer. I’d like to know if the selected readings have helped you see your own work in a different, or deeper, light. I won’t grade the annotations, but I will read them closely as a serious indication of what you are learning from other writers’ work. The best thing about the teacher/mentor role is that it allows me to individualize the semester’s work for each of my students, which to me is a pleasure.
Links: Listen to Tanya's commentaries on All Things Considered: http://www.npr.org/search.php?text=Tanya+Barrientos
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
