Testimonials

I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed Joshua Mohr’s class. Thank you for offering such a lovely space and a great teacher.

Kristin

I just finished a class with Josh Mohr. This is my first ever writing class and he was a fantastic instructor. He worked within the level of each of his students, he was encouraging and at the same time challenged us. As I was nervous about the class it meant a lot to me that he never made anyone feel that anything they said or wrote was poor. I think Josh is an excellent instructor and has a great way about him in getting ideas and concepts across.

Marsha Evans

Just a note to let you know that I thoroughly loved Dominica’s course, “Writing the Surreal,” and so much so that I am considering doing it again in the fall. She put so much into teaching and managing this course which included lots of daily dream collage work requiring that she receive, compile, and circulate our daily dream submittals,etc. and then to this we added our class renga which required that she do quite a bit of extra work to ensure the correct and several-times-daily flow of the verses across the class participants. As the course instructor and facilitator she was fabulous. She is a very, very interesting writer, artist and scholar and I deeply appreciate her work.

Can’t say enough good!!!!! Well worth having come late to the class!

Thanks, Cindy

James Arthur was an outstanding teacher, one of the best writing teachers I’ve had and I’ve had quite a few!! I really liked his class [The Poem You Weren’t Expecting] and am hoping he will teach again in the fall! . . .The course met my expectations very well! It helped me come at writing poetry in new ways which I really appreciated! —Peggy Rasmussen

Hi Alison,

I understand what you’re saying about how hard it can be to take a class after you’ve been a teacher, and I’ve felt that in other classes, but not yours [Personal Essay Class]. You are so totally in command of what you do, I never had any doubt that what you were talking about would be useful. And you are very good at analyzing students’ stories and seeing right away the big weaknesses and making suggestions for how students could get around those weaknesses. I could see the depth of your experience as a writer showing through in those skills, and it was really impressive. I can do that for papers about Japanese history, but not for personal essays. I was too busy listening and learning from your critiques to notice the time. Every class seemed to be over in about 10 minutes. Thanks!

Regards,
Rob

Dianne Jacob is a no-nonsense, well-informed, and informative guide to writing a salable proposal for nonfiction books. She knows her business from her own publishing and coaching successes. Dianne showed me how to think carefully about my uniqueness as a writer, what the book is about, my current and potential audience, and which of my experiences establish credibility. She can help you find the jewel in all your possibly scattered thoughts and make that jewel shine for potential agents and publishers.

Sara Orem

I enjoyed the class, “How to Write a 10-Minute Play,” and would heartily recommend it to others.

Positives: Very good writing and reading exercises, and encouragement to submit plays that are read and commented on by the class. Doing this as a workshop is clearly the best venue. Also, good immersion into some of the great playwrights, their styles, their strengths, etc. It certainly broadened my horizon and turned me on to a couple of writers I wasn’t familiar with before. And finally. . .good methodology for getting us writers out of our box / comfort zone, and helping us tap into our creative resources. (Erin’s style can seem overwhelming at first to some who are expecting a more structured class. . . but one of the main goals of the class is to get writers out of their comfort zone so that they can better tap into their creative resources. The method to the madness does eventually reveal itself over time. . .).

Regards,
Stephen Von Rump

Hi Jane,

I don’t know if I mentioned this to you, but I was accepted to the SF Playground Writers Pool on the basis of the first play I’d ever written in my entire life - the one I wrote in Erin’s 10-minute Play class.

http://www.playground-sf.org/company.shtml
http://www.playground-sf.org/monday.shtml

I never knew I wanted to be a playwright until I took that class.

Yours,
Vicki Anderson

Writing the Surreal led by Dominica Kriz was a wonderful experience. I loved the use of the collaborative material and the creativity it sparked. Class was always interesting and fun, and I’m definitely considering taking it again. I highly recommend it!

Thanks,

Tiffany Cruncleton

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Jesse Loesberg’s class on writing a KQED Perspective. In one enjoyable day he taught us all the basics. I wrote my first one the next week, got it accepted, and it will air August 28th and again on Saturday Sept 1st at 8:37 am. It’s a fun piece on Dining Out Alone. How’s that for instant success? I’ve taken a half dozen other Writing Salon classes but this one had an instant payoff. I think I’ll try again next month. Karen Stephen

Terrel Seltzer’s “Writing The Calling Card Script” was a wonderful class.

I was brand-new to screenwriting when I took this course, and I found the way Terrel set out the foundations along with first-rate handouts very effective. Her hard-earned writing experience, her brilliance in analyzing films, and her ability actually to get her scripts made into movies provided insight after living insight. Students who had done other screenwriting courses told me that Terrel’s class in particular helped them make headway with their own work.

I taught Shakespeare for many years, and I know dramatic structure. It is a big challenge to go from analyzing plays and enacting Shakespearean scenes with my Swarthmore students to writing a screenplay –very humbling and worthwhile. At the start of class and at our break we would talk about first-run films we had seen during the week (great fun) and it was clear that we were watching films with “new eyes” and vocabulary. One bonus of the class is that every film I see now (whether successful or a dog) is more enjoyable, enriched by this knowledge and active vision.

Terrel draws examples from first-rate scripts and films, adapted screenplays, and the business end of things. She would skillfully punctuate a topic with her own war stories if we asked her to speak of her experience. These were hilarious, poignant and cautionary. Most important, Terrel always managed to be encouraging. Although I had occasional moments of thinking “OK, that’s it, no one can survive this kind of world,” her enthusiasm and brilliance at opening up the many worlds of a film, what I would call her practical wizardry, was inspiring week after week.

Throughout Terrel was careful to be “low pressure.” You could take as much or as little advantage of the writing exercises as you wanted. I found these very helpful in moving my own writing forward. She offered invaluable analysis of student dialogue, scenes, and outlines. I continue to work with the advice and key questions she gave me in an early class, and I come back to her handouts again and again.

Terrel’s friendly, accessible, knowledgeable presence encouraged lively discussion and camaraderie. There was a feeling of support that developed among us. I looked forward all week to Sunday night. I wish it were still going on.

In fact I’m writing this note to you now to lobby for a follow-up “part two” screenwriting course taught by Terrel. While I enthusiastically recommend “Writing the Calling Card Script” to both new and experienced writers, there are many in our class last semester who would love to be able to keep going. A more advanced class with Terrel would fill the bill. We would continue to refine our working knowledge of films. And this venue would allow more time for critiques and work with each person’s projects.

Thank you so much for this excellent class and instructor.

Abbe Blum

Re: Starting Your Novel

Karen is a fantastic teacher, I am really impressed by the quality of her instruction!

Parnaz Foroutan

I just wanted to let you know that today’s KQED Perspectives class was really fun. I learned a lot, felt safe to both read and ask questions, and would definitely take a class with Jesse again. And I do plan to submit to KQED. Thanks!

Re: The KQED Perspectives Class

Thanks so much for a wonderful class, Jesse! I am still amazed at how
much we were each able to accomplish, starting from basically square one
at ten AM. I really enjoyed the encouraging atmosphere you helped create
in those few hours; your approach truly allowed our writing to develop
and become something really quite powerful.

I plan to submit my piece in a few weeks, once I return from my trip
home to Seattle, and I can’t wait to write more!

Thanks again,

Sara

I wanted to tell you that I really liked the KQED
perspective class that Jesse taught earlier this
month. He is a great teacher, we had a lot of
interesting people in the class, and the Perspective
Forum is an interesting way to get work
heard/published. Please continue to offer the class.

Frances Thomas

Straight forward - My standing ovation: I loved Dominica’s course, Drinking from the Source. I am most interested in Part 2, and hope you will consider an immediate continuation of her Subterranean Explorations.

Thanks & Cheers,
Emily Miller

Re: Writing Nonfiction Books

It is certainly very nice when one can learn and enjoy at the same time. That was my experience last Saturday. Thanks. I have begun working on my book idea and am receiving much encouragement.

Regards.
Irv

Just a quick note to tell you how good Julie Bruck’s Fearless Poetry class was. I took her Bootcamp last summer and was looking forward to a longer class with her. I thoroughly enjoyed the five week class in March. Even though I had to miss one session I was able to participate by emailing her the assignment for that day which she took to the group and consolidated the feedback for me. Over the course of the class each person’s distinctive voice emerged in the various assignments.

I will probably sign up for her next series. . .

. . .I’ve been so pleased with all the classes and the instructors I’ve met at The Writing Salon. You do find wonderful people to teach these classes and I’m always happy to recommend them to friends.

Jeanne Dorward

Re: the humor writing class: “Excellent teacher… Exceeded my expectations — the process was just amazing… I loved the critiques — Beth P.

“Hank (humor writing class) is a great instructor. My friends were very impressed by our class presentation! It was fun, exciting stuff.” — Pamela

I really enjoyed the book proposal class! Thanks so much for your insight, humor and enthusiasm.” — Kerry Tepperman

Thanks Dianne,

I was skeptical about taking your book proposal class, not sure if it would be practical
or theoretical, but it was excellent — the weekly homework was exactly
what I was looking for.

Thank you so much for all your care, both serious-no-games and personal, caring engagement and advice.

I really enjoyed your company (and that of all my classmates).
I’ll definitely keep you posted. I’m a turtle, slow but persistent.

Karen Kemp

“It [the humor writing class] was a fantastic overall perspective.”

“It was packed with information, inspiration and encouragement. Pamela is a wonderful teacher. She nurtured everyone in the [humor writing] class!”

“Pamela is a gem. I’d follow her anywhere.”–Diana Lyster

“I was so high after this class that I went home and wrote until 4 AM! Still exhausted but so worth it.”- Liz K

Hi Suzy,

Thanks so much for the comments on my Picky Eater piece from last week’s Personal Essay class. I reworked it with your feedback, submitted it to KQED Perspectives, and – drum roll – I’m going in to record it on Monday! Thank god the editor there has a niece who is a picky eater, I think it spoke to him. Anyways I’m very excited and gratified. I’ll let you know when it’s going to play.

And – the piece on the Christmas Baby got picked up by Silicon Mom this week for their December issue!

Needless to say I feel like I’ve already gotten my money’s worth out of your class. Thanks so much for all the energy and publication ideas!

Nancy Kho

Hi Jane,

I thought Lisa Alpine did a wonderful job teaching the Travel Writing class last Saturday. So much material was covered in 6 hours and Lisa was thorough and comprehensive in her presentation. I especially loved her enthusiastic energy!

Lisa Rogovin

Dear Jane,

Just wanted to express to you what a wonderful experience I had in
Robin Romm’s Creative Writing Sampler class last session. It has been
two weeks since the class ended and there is a distinct hole in my
week, as I truly looked forward to Thursday nights. I haven’t taken a
writing class since high school and it was just what I needed to get
back up and writing.

Robin is a wonderful teacher, open, warm, knowledgeable and funny. She
always made the class feel comfortable and most importantly she really
motivated me to write. She gauged the needs of the class well and
when we were feeling a little stuck she found a writing prompt to get
us going again. In fact I still use some of them today when I’m
feeling at a loss for where to start or how to keep going. I always
left class excited with a million new story ideas and the confidence
to actually follow through with them.

I really enjoyed learning and being exposed to authors I wasn’t
previously familiar with. Robin’s in-class hand outs were great for
giving us a taste of these different authors and their styles and in a
lot of cases I went on to purchase additional works by the authors.
Getting beyond the mainstream, Robin exposed us to different
approaches to writing and simultaneously broadened the scope of our
own writing. Mini-workshopping throughout the classes also helped
immensely and the feedback I got was incredibly helpful. Reading your
work out loud can be nerve wracking but I always felt comfortable
doing so within Robin’s class.

I’ve taken enough classes in my life to realize that your ability to
relate to and form a relationship with your instructor is half of what
makes the class a success. After nine weeks in Robin’s class I can’t
say enough about her personally, I definitely count her as a friend
and mentor. Thanks so much for bringing Robin on board at the
Writing Salon, the program is the better for it. I will definitely be
taking another one of Robin’s classes!

Sincerely,
Lauren Hamlin

Today I took my first class at the Writing Salon, a one day workshop with Chris De Lorenzo called “Exploring Your Writer’s Voice.” Chris was simply wonderful: he instantly made everybody feel at home. Nobody was pressured to read out loud, but everybody did by the end. I found myself opening up as I hadn’t done in a long time, thanks to the atmosphere of trust and encouragement that Chris had created. I would definetely recommend this class or workshop to anybody who is a little shy and in need of a safe place to “explore their voice.” Or any other writer! — Aurora

I just participated in Chris DeLorenzo’s daylong class yesterday - Exploring Your Writer’s Voice - and I want to say what a delight it was! Chris has such a wonderfully inspiring, supportive, gentle, and intelligent way of nurturing both the reluctant writer as well as the writer who seems experienced and confident. Now I’m inspired to get back in the saddle to write. Thank you! — Kari Fairchild

The poetry bootcamp was fantastic! Julie is
energetic, kind and honest–a wonderful teacher. I
liked her style so much that I came home yesterday and
immediately signed up for the Monday night poetry
workshop that she’s teaching soon. It was a great
experience and helped me rekindle the fire.

Thanks,
Elizabeth Perry

My best wishes to you, an excellent teacher and writer. And thanks again not
only for the kind words but also for all your help in getting me to write
better. (re: Linda Watanabe McFerrin’s class, Intro to Creative Writing)

– Elise Kazanjian (Elise’s work was subsequently published in the San Francisco
Chronicle Magazine)

…Linda Watanabe McFerrin’s Intro to Creative Writing class was a great way to spend a Thursday night (much better than Survivor). You’ve
truly inspired me to keep writing – and hopefully start publishing.
– Elizabeth Asdorian (Elizabeth has sinced been published in a number of
anthologies.)

I don’t know what I would do without the Round Robin. For me it is a great invention right up there with Post-it Notes, Velcro, ATM’s and on-line banking.

Dale Bentson

Hi Jane,

I just wanted to comment on the food writing class I took with Dianne Jacobs earlier this summer.

Dianne provided great insight into the food world in the class and in her great book. I feel that with the book by my side I can further consider if and how to make the jump into food writing, and I never felt equipped to do so beforehand.

Thank you for the great classes you offer at the Writing Salon.
Melinda Wright

Jane: I just wanted to tell you that the “Intro to
Fiction” course I took with Junse Kim was one of the
best writing classes I’ve ever taken. Junse is a very
capable teacher - he made the class interesting and
inspiring, and I especially liked the way he used
other narrative forms (comic books, movies, songs) to
teach us about the writing process.

Just wanted to let you know - thanks!

Marissa Tirona

Jane-

I have to tell you how much FUN I’ve had over the past 4 days with the beginning of the Round Robin session. I knew I’d enjoy it, but honestly, I had no idea. I can’t wait for the week ahead!

Thanks-
Margaret Miner

“Linda’s Intro to Creative Writing class met all my expectations and more. I’d taken one college class in writing, from a professor who was discouraging and demeaning and critical to all. I can’t say enough about Linda. I knew I could write, and this confirmed it. She gave me the encouragement and practical tools to write a novel — a lifelong aspiration I will now pursue!”

Thanks,
Julie Thompson

Hi Jane,

“…I’ve been doing the Round Robin writes daily, except for the week I went cross
country, when I slacked off and wrote 15,000 words on the journey
instead (har har). This says to me that I have more focus than I
sometimes think, and that if I could just come up with a project that
had as much gratification as these writes, I’d be unstoppable. This
doesn’t mean I’ve come up with the project, but it makes the
possibility seem greater.

And I really enjoy being in touch with others
writing on a daily basis on the same topic. It reminds me of the
infinite number of delightful ways there are to say something about
anything.”

Will Walker

Hi everyone,

It’s Chris from this past spring’s personal essays class.

I just found out that I will be in the “Readers Write” section of The Sun this coming August. I wrote on the prompt “Games” about playing backyard whiffle ball with my brother when we were kids.

Thanks to everyone for the inspiration. I wouldn’t have sent anything in if it weren’t for y’all!

Hope your writing is flowing…

Chris Malcomb (the guy in the crowd

I just wanted to let you know that Dianne Jacob was an extraordinary instructor - interesting to hear but, more importantly, interested in all of her students. She truly wanted to make the experience as meaningful as possible for the students and frequently solicited input so that she could make the classes as productive as possible.

Based upon my experience in Dianne’s food writing class at the Writing Salon, I would readily sign up for another of her classes and because it was held at The Writing Salon, I would consider taking another class there.

Sue Steinhauer

“I really enjoyed David’s fiction workshop. He created a really supportive, non-judgmental, inspiring, fun atmosphere. He’s really approachable and open, which put me at ease sharing my writing with the group. He also gave a lot of helpful suggestions on craft.

I’ve signed up to repeat his class starting Sunday, July 10th, to keep up the momentum.”

Thanks!
Julie

I just wanted to say that Junse Kim’s “Intro to Fiction” class, which I just finished up this past Thursday, was the best writing class I’ve ever taken. I’ve taken several writing classes in the past, but none have broken down the elements of craft to me in such a sensible and succinct way. I feel more prepared to tackle my writing projects with confidence and skill now than ever before.

Thanks Junse and the Writing Salon!
Rona Fernandez

Hi Jane,

Just wanted to say that I took his writer’s websites class, and am glad that I did. Bradley Charbonneau is a terrific teacher, well prepared, and has a clear way of communicating technical concepts and translating jargon into language non-geeks can understand. He’s also very personable, which made for an enjoyable, as well as instructive, day.

Cristina White
San Francisco

Hey Jane,

Just a quick note to say I really enjoyed Bradley Charbonneau’s class on Saturday. He’s really nice and had a lot of great information to impart. I also found it highly motivating to get my website done. I’m sure this has occurred to you before, but I think it would make a great permanent addition to the Salon’s offerings.

Seeya,
Mike

“. . .This skill building is valuable…it has stimulated my thinking and gets
me motivated to improve the sensual aspect of my style. I have enjoyed
constructive feedback. It confirms my awareness about my flighty story
telling and the lack of tangible details. . .

Thanks for doing this Round Robin, Jane. It is revealing that without an
‘assignment’ or a ‘partner’ my writing gets pushed aside. I have to
strengthen my resolve to write for me…and to set up my own priorities
and goals. With more time under my belt doing these exercises, I am
hoping that ‘muscle (mental)’ memory will kick in….”

Anna Leightman

Hello Jane,

Thank you again for steering me into Eric Maisel’s class. The class last night was amazing. He took the book ideas of all 10 participants one by one and helped craft a “frame” for each book. Each 10 minute individual focus/exercise resulted in an incredibly interesting and salable writing path to pursue. It was totally fascinating and I think every student was a riveted by the evening as I was.

Next week we’ve been asked to do a first chapter –10 to 20 pages. Eric is amazed that we’ve all agreed to do it — or at least try. We are such a rabid bunch on Tuesday night.

I think each one of us came to the class so ready to be taken somewhere in our writing process. We are inhaling all that Eric is imparting to us and coming out with a product! We are very interested in each other’s books. For me it’s something about seeing raw ideas transformed into a compelling book frames. Eric is such a master at the process. He is revealing the reality of how to get published.

The class is just great, and has surpassed any and all expectations.

In fact, all the Writing Salon classes I’m taking are moving me along at an incredible speed. Best of all feelings of excitement about learning and creating that I experienced in college have be refound and rekindled.

Thanks again.

Virginia R. Garcia

I have been so busy the last couple of weeks with family here and working overtime, but even in the midst of all this activity, where once I might have said “I don’t have time to write,” I am now finding it. Because there is a daily commitment and a partner on the other end, I am somehow finding the 20 minutes to sit down here and write something. That is invaluable. Amazing.

I signed up because I feel I need that kind of structure. It’s enough of one to hold me to the commitment and I look forward to sitting down here each day. I am feeling more comfortable just writing the day’s piece. I always feel better after I sit down and write. Uplifted. Lighter. Satisfied, even if I didn’t think the piece was that great, just doing it seems to shift the energy inside of me.

I am enjoying the feedback and considering working on some of the writes to lengthen them, based on that feedback. My partners have been encouraging and positive and I appreciate it.

It feels good to have this daily rhythm, and I find my resistance has almost disappeared. If it does crop up, it is easily broken through, it seems.

Having this Round Robin is like being a seed and being surrounded by all the right growing conditions. Thank you.

Sarah Scott

David Booth is a thoughtful, gentle person. He established a supportive environment in our fiction workshop, conducive to sharing creative work. He also offered lots of writing exercises that pertained to the different areas of craft we covered in the classes. These seemed to help some students who were struggling to come up with an idea for a story. Since I was in the midst of a long-ish, continuing story of my own during the class, I didn’t do many of these exercises, but I thought they were stimulating and noted them for future reference–when I’m sure I’ll be struggling for new ideas.

The handouts–craft and writing examples–were quite good. The stories, in particular, exposed me to writers I do not necessarily seek out on my own…I appreciated getting the copies without having to invest money in textbooks or anthologies, etc. David offered suggestions on books about craft, anthologies, though, so if I want to purchase these in the future, I know what to purchase.

The workshopping was, overall, very good. David’s approach is one I like a lot (and have experienced in other classes.) We started with strengths of the piece, then moved on to areas of questioning, of confusion, of a desire for clarification. So, it’s a supportive approach that offers room for praise, but also suggestions for how to improve the piece. In general, I
felt like the students’ comments were very useful and thoughtful–David’s comments were very insightful. I often felt his comments, if taken up by the writer, would elevate the piece to a higher level. . . .I appreciated David’s efforts at “going around the room” and trying to get us to share what was going on with our writing lives. I am fascinated with the practice of writing, and always interested to hear how fellow writers are doing. . .”

Patrice Kavanaugh

Hi Jane,

I wanted to thank you for the party which was a lot of fun and had some exceptional essays. Cedric and I particularly loved the piece read by David Booth and if our baby was not due in two weeks, you would have had me as David’s student because he looks like a great guy. Perhaps if he teaches next semester I’ll be able to make it. I really enjoyed his poetic writing style and soft-spoken voice, and how his reading almost made him look like the little hero of the chapter. It was certainly a long chapter but it seemed short to me. It was great.

Thanks for everything.
Laure Latham

Dear Jane,

I have loved taking this class with Chris and I am hoping to enroll in the next class that I think starts in February. He is a very talented instructor and has done a wonderful job with creating a safe place for us all to write.

Thanks,

Katrina Brashares

Dear Jane,

“One of the most useful things about the Round Robin class has been knowing that my partner is there, waiting for my work each day. I don’t she’s not really sitting around, checking her email obsessively until my write appears, but I feel like I have an obligation to do the work because she’s expecting it. I’ve been surprised how successful that little fiction has been to motivate me!

The short timing of the writes has been immensely helpful, too. You’re right: everyone can find 10 minutes to write every day. If I simply commit to that, I often find myself doing more. It also gives me a great deal of comfort to know that after my writing is done for the day, I don’t have to beat myself up over every moment I don’t spend thinking about writing. I can relax and focus on the other things that need my attention.”

Loren Rhoads

Hello Jane,

I’m currently in Chris DeLorenzo’s Finding Your Writer’s Voice workshop. I wanted to let you know how great it is. Every week I am impressed by Chris, by the AWA method, by the safe, comfortable space, by the others in the workshop, and by their writing. I have taken other classes and tried other methods of writing training and practice and nothing has made me feel as positive and as motivated about writing as this workshop. I get a boost from hearing what other people like about my own writing, and have been very surprised, happily surprised, by what people find in it. I am learning what I can do and what I want to develop. I am learning that the process can be fun and that there is always something of worth in what is created. By listening to others’ writing, and focusing on what is good in it, I have learnt about listening and more importantly about the infinite number of ways writing can be good, and be interesting. All the others in my workshop have some kind of talent, something unique, special, and beautiful in their writing. I enjoy hearing their writing, and I enjoy talking about what is wonderful in it. This makes for a stimulating, creative atmosphere. Chris paved the way for us to trust each other and to take some writing risks. He has shown us by example how to respond with what moves us in each other’s writing. I am very sorry that there is only one evening left.

I will certainly take the same workshop in the Winter if it is offered again in the East Bay. I am hoping many of the same participants will take it again. I think I am already on the mailing list, but if I am not, please put me on it.

Thank you!

Peggy Simmons

Hi Jane,

I wanted to take the time to write to you and express
how much I enjoyed Alison Luterman’s teaching style
with its elements of warmth, candor and humor. She is
exactly what I was looking for in a writing teacher.
She made the classroom environment very “safe” for us
as writers and readers. She gave us very solid,
specific, yet kind, feedback. She encouraged everyone
to participate, by being present and interested when
others were talking . . . ”

Best regards,
Kristy

Jane - I cannot describe what a wonderful personal essay writing class we had. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. It was definitely a high point of my life. I loved the teachers and the students alike. And the personal essays they wrote were so touching and delicious.
Christina Walden

Dear Jane,

I think Dave is a very knowledgeable and motivated instructor. The handouts
he distributed (both commentary and stories) were excellent. I learned a
great deal from his critiques of published stories and student work. He
encouraged all members of the workshop to share their work and provided the
class with fun and provocative writing exercises to help get us started. In
fact, I think every member of the workshop ended up sharing at least one
piece of writing, which I thought was quite an achievement. He was also
responsive to individual concerns. Since I had a few of my own, I was very
grateful and impressed with the serious attention they received. I will
recommend the Writing Salon and Dave’s workshop to others.

Ann Ryles

Hello Jane,

Thank you again for steering me into Eric Maisel’s Book Proposal class. The class last
night was amazing. He took the book ideas of all 10 participants one by one
and helped craft a “frame” for each book. Each 10 minute individual
focus/exercise resulted in an incredibly interesting and salable writing path
to pursue. It was totally fascinating and I think every student was as
riveted by the evening as I was.

These classes are moving me along at an incredible speed. Best of all
feelings of excitement about learning and creating that I experienced in
college have be refound and rekindled.

Eric’s class is just great. Janis Newman’s was also.

Thanks again.

Virginia R. Garcia

Dear Linda,

“I loved your Intro to Creative Writing class. Great teaching, great group, great evenings. Thanks so much. I always learn a ton in your classes and am inspired in ways that last.”

Celia Worth

Hi Jane,

I just finished Intro to Fiction with Junse Kim last
night, and I wanted to let you know what a great class
it was. I’ve taken several other writing classes in
the past few years, and this one was far and away the
best. Junse is a great teacher who demystifies the
craft of writing and teaches his students about all
aspects of it - not just how to write, but also how to
critique, how to interpret different narrative genres,
and what to do next. We also lucked out with a nice,
thoughtful group of students.

Just wanted to let you know how good it was. Thank
you!

Sarah Busselle

Dear Jane,

Thank you for the great party Saturday, and
congratulations on the fifth anniversary of The
Writing Salon. The readings were fabulous and
hilarious. What a great community of writers you have
collected–I am inspired anew. I intend to take
another class in the near future, although due to time
and money constraints it won’t be this session, sorry
to say.

In the meantime, is it possible to get copies of any
of the readings from Saturday night? I am thinking in
particular of those by Dale Bentson, Jeff Kennedy,
Kari Kiernan and Will Walker, these being the ones
that almost caused me to pass milk through my nose.
(And I wasn’t even drinking milk.)

I’m singing the praises of The Writing Salon to anyone
I know who is or aspires to be a writer. Best of luck
to you and keep up the good work.

Regards,

Melissa MacWilliams

Jane,

Maureen is a terrific memoir teacher. She’s quite intelligent,
thoughtful about the writing and the experiences represented, and sensitive
to each person in a very patient way. . . .She’s able to balance helpful
directives/comments about writing in general along with specific comments to
an individual writer. The class structure she uses has been very useful to
me: using carefully chosen examples/excerpts from other writers (she’s very
well read in this genre) to illustrate a particular way of writing memoir.
She then assigns that approach for the following week. She’s also a very
good writer herself. She’s also quite open about using her own experiences
as examples, and she’s clearly had quite a range of them.

But the most important part to me has been her emphasis on emotional
honesty, insight, and self-reflection as the connecting string flowing
through memoir writing. That emphasis pushes me to more thoughtful writing.
She doesn’t hesitate to point out when it’s not there or to emphathize when
it is.

I wish the class were smaller so that I could get more time with her. On the
other hand, there are a surprising number of very good writers in this
group, raising the bar in a healthy way for everyone.

Best,
Sheryle Bolton

Congrats to you and Janis Newman on a dynamite workshop. It was exactly what I wanted and needed to know; I went home and talked my partner’s arm off about all the good ideas I learned. The combination of resources and advice from a successful working freelancer was invaluable.

Mickey

Judy made this workshop come alive for me. She was warm, friendly, encouraging and informative. She inspired me. I broke through some barriers with myself (unexpectedly) and with my character — and I have been diving deeper into my character ever since the class.

I particularly liked how Judy encouraged us to read and gave us the opportunity to speak about our work even if we did not want to share it in the reading-it-out-loud way.

Judy has a generous spirit and communicated to us with a lot of heart and humor. And I noticed she wasn’t using the workshop to plug her books.

I felt her feedback to all of us was kind and helpful. She opened doors to help us explore our characters more deeply.

My only unfulfilled desire was that I would have liked to do more writing exercises. But I think that is because I felt so nurtured by Judy. I didn’t feel on the spot, so I was anxious to explore more within the class setting. On the other hand, time was limited and she covered a lot in the allotted time.

I would love to take a another workshop with Judy.

Dear Jane,

Thank you for the wonderful letter you sent about
process or publication. I would also like to thank you
for being truly interested in every one of the people
who take classes at The Writing Salon, whether
currently in a class or perhaps someone who has taken
them in the past.

I always felt (and feel) supported in my process at
the Salon, with the incredible teaching staff and the
feelings of comraderie that build up among the
students as well.

It is hard to know which to emphasize, writing for
process or publication and I tend to go back and forth
a lot. Right now, I would say I write for the process
of writing, for communication, and for understanding
and trying to become the best human being possible.

I would like very much to thank you and the staff and
the students at The Writing Salon for creating such a
wonderful resource for the community of writers and
non-writers alike. It has been an honor and a
privilege to have taken classes here and to have
shared a struggle towards meaning. Honestly, thank you
for being here, for having created The Writing Salon,
and for having put so much of yourself and your ideals
into it.

Robbie Strand

I loved the class. Judy was professional, knowledgable and generous with guidance and inspiration. The writing exercises were useful. The reading aloud always helps. The tips and techniques were solid and I felt she had a good, grounded base of experience to share. She came with us to lunch and was very approachable and down to earth.
The time passed quickly and I would have loved to keep going on. I would attend other workshops by her at the Writing Salon. Her teaching style is inspiring, encouraging and sent me away wanting to write. Always a good sign! The class was a great value. I really felt I got my money’s worth.
Thanks!

Sarah Scott

I just want to say thanks again to Junse Kim (Intro to Fiction) for his time and energy. He has a great style and way of taking the intimidation factor out of writing. Having never really written before I was amazed at how comfortable he made me in both writing and sharing in a group environment. I think I am now officially on my own writing journey thanks to Junse.

Best of luck and keep me posted on cool writing opportunities.

Karin

Good morning, Jane. Hope all is well with you. I really enjoyed the travel writing class last Saturday. It was an inspiration. By the end of February, I can be a published writer/photographer. How cool is that?! Have a great rest of your week and weekend.

cheers,
lori

Mark Turpin led a great class. I’ve never taken a poetry class or workshop before, and I’m sure if I take another I’ll be let down

Thanks,
Curtis

Thanks for the ongoing info about the Writing Salon. And thanks to you for having the guts to start and sustain your appreciated community service (and business)! Keep me on your mailing list!

Gregory

Thanks for the inspiring quotes; they arrived at a good time as my project was drifting, with me being a little uneasy in my commitment to it. Great to hear that interest in your labor of love persists and writers are catching on to the Writing Salon and the community of writers it embraces. Warmest wishes for a relaxing Thanksgiving….maybe we’ll catch up at one of the Jan. classes.

Barb

I’d like to say “thanks” for Lisa’s great travel writing workshop: well-presented and put together, lots of ideas, and fun! I enjoyed the other participants, as well; they were all very energetic and had a lot to contribute. Please add my recommendation to your (surely) long list of enthusiastic students.

KB

Hi Lisa

This is Sven, curly fool from your travel writing work shop. Just wanted to tell you that I really had a great time on Saturday. The most important lesson I took from it was the reinforcement that it is possible to write your own script in life if you believe in what you do and if you do it with respect, patience and kindness. You are the embodiment of this lesson

Thank you!!

Hi Jane,

Just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know that my husband, Peter, and my brother-in-law Steve and I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday’s reading party. We weren’t able to stay through the last reader, but the pieces we listened to were so enjoyable. I was particularly impressed with how well the students read their pieces. I realized, too, that humor can be such an important addition to a piece–even if most of the piece and/or subject matter is serious.

Thanks again for including me on the invitation list and for hosting. I think it is wonderful that you offer these parties at the end of each session. They seem to me a great addition to the cultural scene in San Francisco and an enriching experience for local writers.

Regards,
Patrice Kavanaugh

Hi Jane. I loved the class that Junse Kim taught — it really provided a good approach that, to a certain degree, was so simple I found myself saying “why didn’t I think of that.” I think it’s a great class for anyone but especially for beginners.

Unfortunately I missed the last class and was hoping maybe I could come up & sit in on it this time around. What do you think? Also, I couldn’t locate his email & I wanted to tell him how much I enjoyed the class.

Hope all is well with you. I’m too busy & just had one of those weeks where just about everything that could go wrong did. Hopefully the tide will turn for me & the world. History shows we’ve survived idiots like the prez before, so I’m trying to be optimistic.

Best,
Seth Flagsberg

Dear Dianne,

I really enjoyed myself Saturday. I’ll definitely be attending more classes…

As a total neophyte when it comes to food writing, I found just about everything informative, even the recipe construction/deconstruction. I found the writing exercises the most enjoyable, however. In the recent past, I’ve felt that my creativity fell out of an open window somewhere. Activities like yours help me to realize that it hasn’t entirely left me. . . I liked the fact that you didn’t force us all to read our writing samples. Some people in the group seemed hesitant about reading aloud what they’d written. Of course, there are always the more obnoxious people like me who will take the stage any chance they can get. Thanksfor humoring me…

And thanks for the Baker’s Dozen info. I will most definitely be joining.

If I missed anything, let me know. I enjoy giving feedback.
Sincerely,
Michael Procopio

Hello Dianne,

Your food writing class was absolutely wonderful. You are extremely knowledgeable. I also really enjoyed the guest speaker. It added a well-balanced perspective to the great information you gave us.

The different components made the class very professional. I feel like I got my money’s worth and more.

The writing exercises were inspiring. I did not expect such diversity.

I particularly enjoyed the history facts, the variations in book styles,
and your knowledge on the wide range of food careers one can participate in.

Thank You!! Excellent Job.
Saeeda Hafiz
Natural Foods Consultant and Certified Yoga Instructor

Dear Jane,

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed taking Personal Essays on Saturdays from Suzy Parker. Not only is she a fun and funny person, but she is extremely knowledgeable. Her classes were well organized with a lot of variety. We always started with a warm-up which got the creativity flowing and she provided copies (usually crappy ones–ha!) of a variety of writing types which tied to the topic we were writing about at the time.

Suzy pushed me in directions I may not have thought about with my writing, and I appreciate that shove. She gave good feedback on critiques and was generous with her sources, and encouraging in her efforts to get us to publish, publish, publish. She is a down to earth person, and we all felt very comfortable in the writing group, mostly because she made is so easy to be there. The time flew by each Saturday…I’ll miss it this coming week. I highly recommend her class!

Maren Smith

Hello Jane,

I took Janice Cooke Newman’s Getting into Print class in January. It was a tremendous help for me. Just the sheer amount of information on places to submit too was worth the tuition fee. The tips on how and when to submit articles was also invaluable. Janice was certainly an expert in the subject and taught the class in an interesting and engaging way.

I have recommended this class to others and would definitely take a class with Janice or another at the Writing Salon again myself.

Hope this helps. Thanks for your email.
Tony Phillips

Hello Julie,

I took your Character Development workshop at the Writing Salon, and loved it! Thank you for being so funny and frank, as well as sharing those invaluable character worksheets.

Just wanted to let you know that I went to town on the character worksheets for a story I’ve been working on forever. I just didn’t have any new insights. But I took time to develop the more “boring” character. Although at first I resented the time it took away from the story (even though I wasn’t getting anywhere in the story, I felt like I was wasting time with silly worksheets! Nice logic I had there), I now see that those worksheets gave me confidence about what would happen next. Suddenly, I saw that of course so-and-so would do such-and-such. And the plot solved itself.

So thank you!

I spent my two hours a day with the story, and I’m happy to report I finished a strong draft today!! I feel ecstatic, and would love to serve as an infomercial for any publicity you’d need.

Hope you have wonderful summer travels!

Cheers,
Heather Donnell

Dear Jane,

I woke up this morning in Palm Springs at 5:30 to catch a 7:00 flight and be at my desk in Mountain View by 9:30. I just got home from work now, exhausted but not too tired to check my home email to see what’s up with my writing buddies, mentors, contacts, (and now what looks like editors and publishers!) — the secret world you and the Writing Salon opened to me. Please do take some credit. If I hadn’t stumbled across the Writing Salon in an article in the Chronicle a couple years ago, I’d still be wondering ‘what if,’ which is so against my nature. Instead, I feel like fate-willing, I’ll be writing my way through my forties, my fifties, my sixties, and maybe even when I’m “Nearing Ninety.” It’s all because of you. You couldn’t have a bigger fan of the challenging, patient, generous, and valuable work you do. Thank you so much!

Jeff

PS: That sure does read like a testimonial, so if you need one, feel free to use, cut, paste, etc.