One of my favorite things about teaching writing at the Paris American Academy every summer is the chance to see our students find success in print, onstage, and onscreen in the months and years that follow. A number of Paris writing students from 2006 and 2007 have recently debuted new work in venues around the world. Here are some examples (and unless otherwise noted, they are all students from 2007):

• Andrea Ronkowski’s Japan-based travel tale Hustling Nakamura-san appeared in The Smart Set last October.
• Cass McGovern’s memoir “Something Special in the Air,” which details her experience of flunking out of the American Airlines stewardess school, appears in the Spring 2008 issue of the Massachusetts Review.
• Dulci Pitagora performed a nonfiction monologue at Stage Left Studio in New York last fall, and was recently named managing editor at GO Magazine.
• Subzero, Razvan Marc’s travel documentary about Arctic Finland, debuted on Romanian television last fall. A trailer for the DVD version of his show is online here.
• Alexis Apfelbaum has a story appearing in “It’s All Relative,” an upcoming issue of the Global City Review.
• Perth-based Carmen Jenner, who attended the Paris writing workshop in 2006, has published a number of travel stories in The Australian, including an article about traveling with children in Paris.
• 2006 student Marlene Nichols will be performing her new solo show “Seeing Voices” at New York’s Stage Left Studio later this month. Performance dates are Thursday-Friday, May 29th & 30th; then Friday-Saturday June 6th and 7th, at 8pm each night. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. More information available here.
• John Biguenet, who teaches literary fictions at the Paris writing workshop, has had a string of successes for his Pulitzer-nominated play about Hurricane Katrina, Rising Water. The 20th annual Big Easy Entertainment Awards named Rising Water its Best Original Play of 2007, naming Biguenet “Theatre Person of the Year”. The play debuted at Southern Repertory Theater and became the playhouse’s bestselling show ever. It is scheduled for production in several cities in the United States, and has recently debuted in southern California.

On a final note, I’ll note that registration is still open for the July 2008 session of the Paris American Academy writing workshop, and we welcome new applicants! For more information,, check out our official website here.

Above: 2007 Paris American Academy writing students relax in the classroom: (front row) Lexi Apfelbaum, Tess Vella, Catherine Butler, Rea Frey; (middle row) Annalise Proctor, Dawn Turek, Deborah Nyuli, Alethea Brown, Jenna Weber, Gabi Flam, Tyler Mollenkopf; (back row) Joanne Lappas, Razvan Marc, Dulci Pitagora, Cass McGovern, Erik Olsen, Jenny Nauss, Andrea Ronkowski, Anna Rodriguez

My creative writing workshop at the Paris American Academy once again proved to be a great experience earlier this summer. The one-month intensive writing course saw a record turnout of students: 26 aspiring writers showed up from various parts of the United States (and Canada, and Australia, and Romania) to sharpen their skills at travel writing, essays, memoir, fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, and journaling.

In addition to my own creative nonfiction classes, novelists John Biguenet and Lauren Grodstein once again taught inspiring fiction workshops, and novelists Binnie Kirschenbaum and Thomas Fox Averill (and literary agent Julie Barer) dropped in to share their perspective with students. Many of this year’s students turned out writing of publishable quality — and I’ll make an effort to mention it here whenever those various stories go to press.

Speaking of which, 2003 Paris writing student Patricia Engel’s short story “Lucho” recently appeared in the July/August 2007 issue of the Boston Review, and two of my 2005 students landed stories in Travelers’ Tales’ latest women’s humor anthology, More Sand in My Bra: Beth Martinson, with a Corsica tale entitled “Mommy Nearest,” and Kelly Watton, with a story from South Africa entitled “The Robbery-Free Plan.” Congrats, Patty, Beth and Kelly!

For information on the 2008 Paris American Academy summer writing workshop, click here.

[Above: Rolf poses with students and teachers from the 2006 Creative Writing Workshop at the Paris American Academy.]

I’ve been so busy with travel this summer (journeying through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the Czech Republic) that I never properly reported on the creative writing classes I taught at the Paris American Academy in July. We had a small but lively nonfiction class this year, with students from the United States and Australia developing impressive memoirs, travel stories, and experimental essays.

One of the most interesting projects to come from the creative nonfiction class was Marlene Nichols’s performance monologue based (in part) on her visit to the Paris Catacombs — and I’m proud to announce that she’ll be performing this piece with the storytelling group MOUTHPIECE in Park Slope, Brooklyn next Monday, September 25th. Entrance is just $8, and the show also includes performances by Andy Christie, Albert Stern and James Braly, so if you’re in the New York area, do go and check out her monologue next Monday! More information online here.

Marlene will also be performing her monologues as part of the Culture Project’s Impact Festival in the show “Voices From the Storm,” (responses to Hurricane Katrina, and a benefit for rebuilding efforts in Hancock County), and every Wednesday in October she’ll be handing over four of her monologues to various actors who’ll be performing them at Stage Left Studios’ “What’s Happening” nights for works in progress.

[Above: Literary agent Sarah Jane Freymann talks to Paris American Academy students about the publishing business.]

One of my most intriguing guest speakers at the Paris American Academy writing workshop last month was my literary agent, Sarah Jane Freymann, who gave an hour-long talk on the business side of book writing. Below is an outline of her tips (compiled with the help of PAA students Carol Bender and Joyce Hardy-McDonald) regarding finding an agent for a travel book:

• These days, book editors want to deal initially with agents, not authors. An agent is your best intermediary to the book world.
• A committed agent will work to help you through the legal aspect of contracts, and help manage your career.
• Your agent will be your initial editor, as you prepare your book proposal.
• Rarely do agents send a work to publishers before they guide extensive revision and rewriting. Writers working with agents must be willing to rewrite until the agent says “go”.

• It’s better not to try and get an agent over the Internet — and never pay a reading fee. Legitimate agents don’t ask for payment in reading book queries.
• Books such as the Writer’s Digest Guide to Literary Agents list literary agents by category, and are a worthwhile investment.
• Don’t approach an agent that doesn’t represent your genre of writing. A trick to finding an appropriate travel-literature agent is to go to a bookstore or library and browse through your favorite travel books. Authors tend to thank their agents in the acknowledgements, and a little bit of follow-up research will usually yield contact information.
• Do your research and call the agent by name when sending a query (never start a query letter with “Dear Sirs”).

• It’s preferable not to pitch an agent by email. Mail your pitch as hard copy — and use good-quality paper.
• Don’t send a “rough draft” pitch letter; hone it until you’re absolutely sure it’s perfect. Out of hundreds of proposals agents receive each week, yours must shine — it should be inviting and exciting while still being courteous. Capture the agent’s imagination, but don’t be gimmicky. Be intriguing without being “cute”.
• An effective pitch letter is brief — one page — and to the point. Tell the agent who you are, why you’re writing what you’re writing (including what authority, if any, you have on that topic), and how you can market your book.
• Simultaneous submissions are fine, and it’s OK to play the numbers game. It’s not uncommon to send queries out to up to 25 agents at once. Remember to include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope).
• If an agent expresses interest in your book project, send her a more detailed book proposal, including three sample chapters, a chapter outline, and an overview. The overview should be well written, informative, and succinct, like a New York Times book review. [Note: While non-fiction is sold based on a proposal and sample chapters, fiction (especially for first-time authors) is generally sold based on the completed novel.]
• The book proposal, including sample chapters, is typically 15-30 pages long.

• Good writing is always the bottom line in attracting interest from agents and publishers. But good writing isn’t enough: Every book needs to transcend the experience it describes and tie in to the universal.
• This means you have to use storytelling to communicate your experience. Write from the heart, and let the reader share in your sense of discovery.

Travel writer David Downie, who visited my Paris American Academy classes last month as a guest lecturer, will be touring the United States in coming weeks to promote his excellent new book, Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light (which contains photos by Alison Harris and an introduction by Diane Johnson). Anyone with a passion for Paris is advised to pick up his book and catch one of his events, which are listed (through September) below.

For more information, check out ParisParisthebook.com, or email info@parisparisthebook.com.

Corte Madera, CA — Friday-Saturday, August 19-20, 8 am to 6 pm. David will serve as a panelist at the Book Passage Travel Writing Conference (51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera; phone: 415-927-0960).

San Francisco — Thursday, August 25, 7 pm. In conversation with Diane Johnson at Book Passage, the Ferry Building (1 Ferry Plaza #46; 415-835-1020).

San Francisco — Thursday, September 8, 6 pm to 8 pm. Book presentation and cocktail reception at the Rex Hotel (562 Sutter St. in Union Square; 415-433 4434). Also presenting will be Terrance Gelenter of Paris Through Expatriate Eyes. To reserve a seat, contact Terrance Gelenter (Terrance@paris-expat.com, or 415-388-4956).

Berkeley — Friday, September 9, 7 pm. Book event with the Alliance Fran

[Above: Paris American Academy writing workshop students pose after the farewell banquet. Pictured are Dorothy Hui, Lauren Reynolds, Sara Levine, Kelly Watton, Carol Bender, Joyce Hardy-McDonald, Matt Kiswardy, Deborah Patton, Alan Bender, and (at bottom) Johanna Hackman and Jeremy Rizik.

My stint teaching the creative writing workshop at the Paris American Academy ended last week, and it was a thoroughly inspiring month. Sixteen students lasted the duration of the program, and it was as talented a bunch as I’ve seen in my three summers with the school. Literary agents, book editors, and professional writers dropped in to give guest lectures, students performed their best work at the legendary Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, and we even managed to throw a party or two and enjoy ourselves. And, thanks to a visit by writer and editor Jen Leo, one student’s travel essay got short-listed for the upcoming Travelers’ Tales humor anthology before the month had even ended.

We’ll be doing it all again in July of 2006; click here or send a query to info@pariswritingworkshop.com if you’re interested in attending.

Below is a new batch of photos from the Paris workshop. Since a number of readers gave me a hard time about posting mostly party pictures last time, I’ve tried to include some more class shots. But keep in mind that people simply take more pictures at parties than in class!

My thanks to everyone who attended the workshop, and I look forward to seeing many of you again next year.

• Rolf and Jen Leo share a laugh as students read their humor essays during a workshop session. Jen later held court in the American Academy garden and spoke about the ins and outs of marketing and publishing (also pictured are Alan Bender, Carol Bender, Sara Levine, and Joyce Hardy-McDonald). For Jen’s own report on the experience, visit her Written Road blog entry here.
• Student Alan Bender wows the audience with his poetry reading in front of Shakespeare & Co. bookstore, near the Seine River.
• American Academy writing workshop founder Bettye Givens (in the pink shawl) looks on as student Dorothy Hui reads to the Shakespeare & Co. crowd. Dorothy had plenty of performance experience before she ever came to Paris: She participated in (and won) ABC’s reality show The Mole 2, and she plays bass and sings backup for the Brooklyn-based indie rock band Loaded Dreams. Those living in New York can see Dorothy and her band perform next Tuesday, August 9th, at Pianos. Show starts at 8:30; those interested in hearing samples of Loaded Dreams tunes can visit their iTunes site here.
• Ally Bockfeldt takes a ball-peen hammer to Beth Martinson’s head at Rolf’s second Friday soiree.
• Kelly Watton displays a plate of her famous bruschetta at Rolf’s Friday party.
• Since opera baritone Elias Mokole was out of Paris, the highlight of Rolf’s second soiree was an all-student talent show, which included show-stoppers such as Lauren Reynolds’ backward recitation of the alphabet, and Sara Levine’s rousing impersonation of a goat. Also included in the lineup (but not pictured here) were Carol Bender’s squirrel poem, Joyce Hardy-McDonald’s children’s song, and “The Garden Party” — Beth Martinson’s spirited skewering of her fellow classmates.
• French-Texan film and television actress Rochelle Redfield poses with Annette Terkaly at a restaurant in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. Rochelle had a co-starring role in the early 1990’s French sitcom H鬨ne et les gar篮s, which was an inspiration for the American TV show Friends. In previous years, Rochelle has lectured and performed for American Academy screenwriting students.
• American literary agent Sarah Jane Freymann gives a garden lecture on the business side of the writing world. (Look for Sarah Jane’s book proposal tips on this blog in coming days.)

Over the course of July’s creative writing workshop at the Paris American Academy, I had the pleasure of working on fiction and nonfiction essays with several talented students. Many of these essays were stellar, including one that was picked up for publication before the workshop even ended (more about that soon). Many more stand a good chance of being published by magazines and newspapers in coming months, and I’ve decided to kick off this publication process by sharing one of these stories here.

The essay below, “Too Deep For Children”, by Joyce Hardy-McDonald, is a straighforward and chilling memoir of Jacob’s Well, a dangerous Texas sinkhole that was once used for recreation by children and cave divers alike. Joyce, who is 79 years old, took this tale through four workshop drafts — cutting out some details, adding others, and toying with dramatic structure until she came up with the tale below. Using happy family memories of Jacob’s Well to offset the horror of her last visit there, Joyce utilizes a water motif to underscore shock and sadness of the drownings she and her family witnessed. Here’s her tale.

Two sets of bubbles rose up through the clear, blue water to the top and popped as they hit the sunshine. The wives of the two scuba divers lay on towels, sunning themselves on the concrete retaining wall around part of Jacob’s Well. Above the opposite side was a high cliff with layers of fallen boulders piled along the edge of the well. The headwaters of the Frio River flowed from the spring, all the way downstream through huge cypress trees, whose roots jutted up like knobby knees along the banks, to our cabin and beyond.

Tom, our five children and I had toted a picnic lunch down the path to the well that morning. The children, Tommy, 14, Lynn, 12, Buck, 10, Mike, 8, and Larry the youngest at 5, insisted we go swimming there at least twice a week. Usually we had the place to ourselves, but not today. Around noon, four strangers had come walking down a brushy footpath from a make-shift parking lot above the backwater pond of Jacob’s Well.

Earlier, the children had been jumping off the high boulders into the well feet first, diving for red coke cans or gold beer cans, testing their bravado and their lungs with their daring-do. The water was so clear that we could see whatever they threw in to retrieve, even though that first ledge where the cans landed was fifty feet below the surface. They would wait patiently to jump in, some doing the canon ball, some the can-opener, the younger ones just proud to be able to jump out far enough from the jutting rocks to land in the middle of the well. It was a right of passage. Tom and I floated around on the outskirts of the well trying to act relaxed and not at all like two lifeguards, which we were.

When the two couples arrived on the scene, all action in the water ceased. The two men began unloading their equipment while the two ladies spread their towels on the retaining wall and settled down to sunbathe. Tommy, Lynn, Buck and Mike, bursting with questions, immediately swam over to the wall where the men were sorting their gear. Tom and I pulled ourselves up onto the wall, the only place to sit, motioning Larry to follow us. Jetta, who was never far from the kids, swam after Larry and scrambled up onto the wall, too.

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