What do we do?
The Jiménez-Porter Writers'House, located in Dorchester Hall, creates a campus-wide literary center to study creative writing in its cross-cultural dimensions. Participants live in a close community of 40 to 50 students who share an interest in creating stories, poems, and plays. Students attend colloquia, interact with visitors to the Writers Here and Now series (see our Events listing for more info), share their writing with each other in a supportive workshop environment, and attend additional special events together. Writers' House students organize Litfest, our annual literary bash, every Spring.

Some additional opportunities for involvement include joining the editorial staff of Stylus (Stylus the UMD campus-wide literary journal housed and supported by Writers' House staff), or reading at TerPoets http://terpoets.brinkster.net/401.html , the weekly student-run Open Mic series hosted here in Dorchester's Ground Floor Lounge. Literary study abroad (to Chile or Egypt in January 2009), teaching opportunities, and a service-learning option are also offered. Writers' House offers a one or two year program.

Requirements for the first year in Writers' House:

+ ARHU 318: 1-credit, to be taken in the Fall (Creative Writing Across Languages and Cultures).
+ARHU 318A: 1-credit, to be taken in the Spring (Creative Writing Across Languages and Cultures: Poetry Colloquium).
+ One supporting 3-credit class taken from an approved list.
+ Produce a writing portfolio in the Spring.
+ Attend a one-on-one advising session each semester.
+ Attend Writers Here and Now visiting author series, plus additional literary events, on and off campus.
+ Serve on at least one committee: TerPoets, Stylus, Postcards from My Country, Litfest Coordination, or Writers' House Ambassadors.

Requirements for the second year in Writers' House, (and for receiving Notation):

+ ARHU 319: 3 credits, 2 sections each Fall (Form and Theory of Poetry and Form and Theory of Fiction).
+ARHU 319A: 3 credits. ( Form and Theory of Creative Writing: Writing for Publication; offered each Spring).
+Produce a culminating Chapbook in the Spring.
+Attend a one-on-one advising session each semester.
+ Attend Writers Here and Now visiting author series, plus additional literary events, on and off campus.
+ Serve on at least one committee: TerPoets, Stylus, Postcards from My Country, Litfest Coordination, or Writers' House Ambassadors.

+All courses must be completed with a B (3.0) or better.

Courses Offered the Campus Community at Large:

Chilean Literature, Democracy and Social Change, January 2-23, 2010Applications are due October 7, 2009 to study abroad in Chile over winter break. The course (ARHU 319C) will include: an in-depth look at selected works by poet Pablo Neruda and other Chilean liteary texts in light of their impact on the reconstruction of democracy; visits to Neruda's houses; visits to representative sites of repression and to main museums; and attendance at seminars led by several renowned Chilean writers. For more information please contact Johnna Schmidt at jmschmid@umd.edu.

Egypt: A Literary Journey, January 2-21, 2010

"Egypt: A Literary Journey"is a course designed to give students the opportunity to travel to Egypt and explore the country though first-hand exposure hand-in-hand with its rich modern and contemporary literature. Explore Egypt's culture, politics, and history through such Arabic literature classics as Naguib Mahfouz’s “ The Cairo Trilogy,” Al-Tayyib Salih’s “Season of Migration to the North,” and Alaa Al Aswany’s “The Yacoubian Building.”The unique opportunity will allow students to travel to both rural and urban areas. Students will travel to sites of ancient Egyptian civilization like the famous Pyramids and Sphinx, the temples of Luxor and Aswan, and to other important Egyptian sites. Students will explore the bustling markets, lavish mosques, and early churches of Cairo, one of the world's largest and most vibrant cities.

Young Scholars Program: July 12-31, 2009
ARHU 298J (3 credits): Creative Writing Workshop - Cross Cultural Perspective in Poetry and Fiction. Immerse yourself in the writing of fiction and poetry. You'll hone your writing craft in a nurturing, interactive environment while developing skills that help uncover your own distinctive voice. Morning sessions emphasize assigned readings, writing, analysis and discussions of craft. Afternoons are devoted to studio time spent reading and writing. For more info go to: http://www.summer.umd.edu/s/admissions/courses/ysp/creative_writing