Happy New Year!

As the new director of Westport Writers' Workshop, I am excited to welcome everyone to a new year of writing programs and to fill you in on some of our initiatives for 2014.  First of all -- don't worry!  In the spirit of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," we are continuing our regular fiction and nonfiction course offerings as well as an array of Saturday seminars and special events like lectures and readings.  And, yes, our beloved Jessica Bram, Westport Writers' founder and master teacher, will still lead her popular Thursday afternoon "The Examined Life" essay and memoir class for advanced students.

Our big news is that we have begun the process of applying for not-for-profit 501(c)(3) status, as part of our transition to an independent literary arts center governed by a board of directors.  We already have a couple of committed prospective board members working on our behalf, and a few donors waiting in the wings for the time when we can accept tax-deductible gifts.  The great news for our community is that in anticipation of our fundraising prospects, we have LOWERED OUR PRICES for 2014 to $395 for most of our regular 8-week classes and to $495 for master classes.

With regard to new programming, here are some of our plans for the coming year:

• Suzanne Hoover will deliver her full 10-part lecture series, Essentials for the Fiction Writer, on select Saturday mornings during the spring and fall of 2014. She will also offer a 5-week Saturday afternoon workshop this spring in "Reading and Writing Poetry."  
• My own personal writing, teaching, and leadership mentor, Pat Schneider, will return to gift us with another of her one-day "Writing as a Spiritual Practice workshops." Pat will also present an evening program that will be free and open to the public.  
• Some of our core faculty members will be taking our classes to the community by scheduling public readings for our writers. We are excited about showing off the talent that comes into our center and our writers' creative work.

The greatest delight of my new position has been finding myself at the hub of such a wonderful community of brilliant, kind, and engaged writers, faculty and staff members. I plan to visit several of the classes that I don't teach (with instructor permission,) and I look forward to getting to know many more of you in 2014.

Here's to a joyous and productive New Year!

-- Valerie