Diana Greene: Teaching

"If we had to say what writing is, we would define it essentially as an act of courage." – Cynthia Ozick

Writer in Residence –School Workshops

Narrative writing is at the heart of these hands-on workshops that inspire even reluctant scribblers. I teach students - and teachers - how to compose their thoughts, elaborate, and create sharply focused stories with the reader in mind. For 15 years I’ve been awarded grants to teach public school students the joy of sharing what they think, see, experience and imagine through writing. Residencies range from three to five weeks.

"I want to thank you for the wonderful writing experience you have given my class and me! Watching you work with the children has meant much more than all the 'how-to' classes I’ve had on writing."
– K.Jones, 4th Grade Teacher

Literacy through Photography

Visual literacy is essential in today’s media-saturated world. By studying photography and working with digital cameras, students gain skills of perception, interpretation and composition. Each project combines text with photos. Working with these two art forms, students draw profound connections about the power of detail and the need to plan before execution and revise for perfection. Students also experience the centrality and wonder of their personal vision.
Three programs are available:

My Inside/Outside Self – students write a self-portrait and make a black and white photograph of themselves, depicting who they are inside and out.
The Best Part of Me – students photograph a part of their body they love – hands, eyes, back, etc. – and write text describing why.
The Surrounding World – students photograph the places and people that matter to them and write text to accompany photographs.

Here are two examples of work from students who have participated in the Literacy through Photography program:

(click image to read their essays.)

"We spend so much time learning about others that many people end their lives not having discovered who they are. In short, we have an inner and an outer life. The outer life is subject to pollution by all sorts of things. The development of the inner life is the doorway to manifesting our greatest creations and unfolding nature’s best-kept secrets."
– Alonzo King, Choreographer, San Francisco Ballet Co.

Writing Workshops for Adults

Writing in a group is an inspiring and instructive way to grow as a writer – which is why all MFA programs are based on this model. Writers learn not only by doing, but also by analyzing what other writers create. Evening classes run two hours and meet once a week. Critique is constructive, encouragement and humor are bountiful, and instruction is based on published work. All genres welcome. A sampling of classes offered:

Point of View – explore narrative perspective in storytelling.
Writing as Discovery – experience the revelatory element of writing.
Making a Scene – create powerful building blocks for any story.

"We worked hard. Diana’s edits and comments were wonderful. She brought in great quotes and writing examples, and focused us on objectives that helped us with writing."
– Nora W., Salem Continuing Studies Student