2012 Workshop

The next Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop will be April 19-21, 2012, on the campus of the University of Dayton, Erma Bombeck’s alma mater. Registration is now open and will continue on a first-come, first-served basis until sold out. Past workshops have sold out quickly, sometimes in days, closing out literally hundreds of writers who missed their opportunity to attend. To register, simply follow this link:
 

http://www.regonline.com/2012bombeckworkshop

 

The Bombeck Workshop is the only one in the country devoted to both humor and human interest writing. Through the workshop, the University of Dayton and the Bombeck family honor one of America’s most celebrated storytellers and humorists.  Over the past decade, the workshop has attracted such household names as Dave Barry, Phil Donahue, Art Buchwald, Nancy Cartwright, Don Novello, Garrison Keillor and Gail Collins.

 

The workshop begins on a Thursday evening and continues through Saturday evening, ending with an attendee stand-up show. It features more than two dozen professional humor and human interest writers on it faculty, offering sessions on the craft of writing, turning an interest into a profession, marketing, publishing and more. We also offer breakfast roundtables and plenty of other opportunities for comparing notes and networking. The atmosphere is very supportive to both new and established writers looking for the kind of inspiration Erma received from UD professor Brother Tom Price: “You can write!”

 

And you’re guaranteed to laugh. A lot.

 

The workshop draws approximately 350 writers from around the country and typically sells out very quickly, so don’t wait once registration opens.

 

The 2012 Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop features an exciting line-up of keynote speakers with extensive experience in print, television, theater and film. The keynoters include:

 

• Alan Zweibel, winner of the Thurber Prize and an original Saturday Night Live writer.

 

• Gina Barreca, who has been called a “feminist maven” by Ms. Magazine and “Very, very funny. For a woman.” by Dave Barry.

 

• Ilene Beckerman, who was nearly 60 when she began her writing career and whose book Love, Loss and What I Wore became an Off-Broadway hit.

 

• Jeff Zaslow, who has told the stories of some of the most inspirational people of our time through his Wall Street Journal column and bestselling books, including The Girls from Ames and The Last Lecture.

 

• Adriana Trigiani, whose bestselling Big Stone Gap launched her career as a novelist, sequels and a screenplay.

 

Read more about all of the workshop faculty and workshop sessions.