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“The imagination knows all stories before they are told,” wrote the poet William Carlos Williams. “What that says to me,” says instructor Katharine Harer, “is that all of us, whether we already think of ourselves as writers or we’re just starting to explore the craft, are primed for creative writing. Words, ideas and images are inside us, just waiting for us to open the door and let them out.”
This class will help you hone the practice of tuning into your imagination, opening the door to your writing. You’ll learn practical tools and skills to write in a variety of genres—poetry, memoir, fiction, and personal essays. During each class session, we’ll do regular writing exercises that are accessible and fun, and we’ll share our work, listening to and learning from one another. We’ll discuss stories, poems, and essays by published writers to learn how and why they grab us and to bask in their artistry. Short take-home assignments will help reinforce the skills of tapping into your experiences, finding your distinct voice, and creating vivid imagery.
“In the five weeks we’re together, we’ll become a community of writers, helping and inspiring one another,” says Katharine. “You’ll leave with your own customized toolbox of techniques and tips, and pieces you’ll be proud to have written.”

Katharine Harer loves teaching creative writing. She has worked with hundreds, maybe thousands, of students in her over thirty-year career as a community college writing teacher at Skyline College and as a private workshop instructor. Katharine has published seven collections of poetry, the most recent, Deconfliction, in 2020, and a full-length volume of poems, Jazz & Other Hot Subjects, in 2016. Her poetry and nonfiction have been published widely in literary journals, newspapers, magazines, and anthologies. Her travel essay Delle Donne appeared in Best Women’s Travel Writing 2016 and a personal essay, Blue Flags & Painted Crosses, is forthcoming from Sonora Review in Tucson.
- Monday, February 19, 7:00pm-9:30pm
- Monday, February 26, 7:00pm-9:30pm
- Monday, March 5, 7:00pm-9:30pm
- Monday, March 12, 7:00pm-9:30pm
- Monday, March 19, 7:00pm-9:30pm
I found Katharine's teaching style empathetic and helpful. She was always about improving, no matter what level we were at.