Writing from the Fingertips – A day of sensory exploration (Berkeley)

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (this class is not currently scheduled)
$95 members/$110 others Berkeley
Testimonials for Chris

“…our meaning together/is hardy as an onion/and layered. Goes into the blood like garlic./Sour as rose hips./Gritty as whole grain./Fragrant as thyme honey. — Marge Piercy

Here’s the good news (and no bad news!): You already have the tools you need to improve your writing: your five senses. “Sensory imagery is what brings writing alive. It’s what helps your readers to connect to your story on an emotional level,” says instructor Chris DeLorenzo. “This is a hands-on workshop in the most literal sense. We’ll do lots of fun writing exercises that will help you utilize the five senses — looking  at the world with new eyes, and exploring new ways to include your sensory perceptions in your writing.

“We’ll write a lot, volunteer to read out loud, and have fun. Whether you’re writing fiction, poetry or nonfiction, your senses are the key to unlocking language that replaces dull, abstract adjectives and adverbs with concrete images and specific details.”

Chris DeLorenzo loves the way chocolate melts on the tongue. He harmonizes with Madonna in commuter traffic, and craves the scent of magnolia trees. He also has an MA in creative writing and is a certified Amherst Writers and Artists method (AWA) facilitator. (Tip: You may want to check out this book: Writing Alone and With Others, by Pat Schneider, founder of the Amherst Writers and Artists Method. It’s not required for this class, but you might enjoy it!) He teaches writing at the University of San Francisco and has published poetry, prose and personal essays in numerous publications. He has also written two novesl, Certain Sacred Places and What Remains.