2004 FPG Summer Project #00057

Last Modified: Mar 5, 2004

Name	College	Department or Division
Lois Roma-Deeley	Paradise Valley Community College	English
Employee ID	E-mail Address	Work Phone
xxxxxxxx	lois.roma-deeley@pvmail.maricopa.edu	(602) 787-6577
Project
Title		Location
Postgraduate Writers' Conference		Montepelier, VT
Group Application
This is not a group project

Project Dates and Amounts
	Summer I view timeline details	Summer II view timeline details
Timeline Dates	(none)	Jul 28 - Aug 17, 2004
Hours	0	73
Wages	$0.00	$1,622.79
Registration Fees	0.00	0.00
Subtotals	$0.00	$1,622.79
Total Proposal Amount		$1,622.79

Details
Abstract Write a concise overview with descriptive information about your project (location, time span, etc.) not to exceed 120 words. To take advantage of spelling and word count tools, you can compose this in a blank Word document, copy the text, and paste it in below (all formatting will be reset to normal text).
I will attend the Postgraduate Writers' Conference held from August 11-17, 2004 in Montpelier, Vermont at Vermont College. I will learn a new skill: manucript arrangement as well as attending a week-long poetry manucript workshop, issues and forums master classes, faculty and participant readings and participate in individual consultations with faculty. Prior to the conference, I will research Bruce Weigl, author of thirteen collections of poetry, well known poet of the American experience in Vietnam ,former director of creative writing at Pennsylvania State University and current Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities at Lorain County Community Colleges and award winning poets Mary Ruefle, Roger Weingarten and Beckian Fritz Goldberg. After the conference, my research will form the basis of material used in ENG 210-Creative Writing, ENG 205 Nature of Poetry, ENG 217 Personal and Exploratory Writing, ENH 214 Poetry Study and the Associate of Fine Arts Certificates.
Purpose Explain your purpose in depth and include relevancy and components of the project. Include a statement of goals and objectives. This is what you want to do and why.
The purpose of this project is to attend the 9th Annual Postgraduate Writers' conference from August 11-17, 2004. My goal is to upgrade my knowledge and skills in creative writing with a specific emphasis in the manuscript arrangement process, to deepen my knowledge of contemporary poets as well as the poetry of the American experience in Viet Nam. The skills involved in the manuscript process are similar to those used in arranging music. I will learn how to arrange to the following elements found among and between poems/essays/chapters: theme, transitions/juxapositons, tone, structure and symbolism with the final purpose of creating a finished creative piece--a unified, coherent book. Further, this is rare opportunity to upgrade my knowledge as I believe this may be the only postgraduate creative writing conference in the country. My objective: to gain new knowledge through research/participation in the manuscript arrangement process, issues and forums, master classes, readings and conferences. Moreover, I received my MFA in creative writing in 1988 and my Ph.D. in creative writing in 2000 and, in both degree programs, the opportunity to learn about manuscript arrangement was not an option.There were simply no classes on the subject. Indeed, I have never attended any lecture, seminar or conference--credited class or professional activity--in which I had the opportunity to learn and apply the skills, techniques, craft and art of manuscript arrangement. Also, my research into the poetry that arises out of the American experience in Viet Nam will keep me current in my discipline regarding this little visited area of American contemporary literature. My research into contemporary poetry written by Ruefle, Goldberg and Weingradtern will keep me current in my field and assist with various campus and district events where I must recommend various poets for district judging and/or campus functions.
Professional Growth Your own professional growth is a large part of your project. Your professional growth is important to you, your students, and possibly other colleagues. How will this project affect you professionally? What skills will you learn? What environment will you be working in, and how will it influence your teaching or other responsibilities?
I will upgrade my teaching skills, specifically with an emphasis on the manuscript arrangement process. I will use these new skills as well as the additional reasearch gained from this conference in the following ways: 1) to learn new teaching methods and to gain resources regarding how to teach students to arrange their own manuscripts 2) to incorporate my new knowledge into the following courses that I teach on a regular basis: ENG 210 Creative Writing, ENG 205 Nature of Poetry, ENG 217 Personal and Exploratory Writing 3) to apply, when appropiate, my new knowledge to the Associate of Fine Arts Certificate programs 4) to assist district creative writing faculty who are currently investigating the possiblity of district-wide Associate of Fine in Arts-Creative Writing Degee. In addition, I will have the opportunity to learn from Bruce Weigl, the Distinguished Professor of Arts and Humanities at Lorain Community College regarding teaching methods, programs, classes, events that are offered at his community college--this is also a rare opportunity as most poets of his stature work at the university level. I will also study with contemporary poets Mary Rufefle, Roger Weingarten and Beckian Fritz Goldberg.
Benefits
Select the primary area of benefit:	Benefits to the college
What benefit is this project to the group checked above? What new information, ideas, attitudes, skills, appreciation, etc. will you bring back?
I will attend the conference and participate in workshops, seminars, lectures, readings and professional consultations. My research will inform the detailed notes that I will take at the conference. The research and notes will form the basis for future lecture material as well as forming the basis for campus, district and committee contacts. As a teacher of creative writing and literature as well as an active member of PVCC's Fine and Performing Arts committee, curriculum designer PV (Associate of Fine Arts certiificates, PV coordinator for the district's Creative Writing Contest, editor of PVCC's student literary anthology, director of PVCC's Visiting Writer speaker series, I need to upgrade my skills and keep current with contemporary writers as well as current methods of teaching creative writing. In the past, my attendance at creative writing contests have yielded significant benefit to the college and the district in the form of networking contacts, creative writing teaching methods and library acquistions. This is is a rare opportunity for me to learn a brand new skill--the manuscript arrangement process. This skill will form the basis for material used to enhance lecture material. For example, I will be able to bring new insights/ideas/information regarding manuscript arrangment to those creative writing students have groups of poems, stories, essays and/or chapters and wish to order them into a "finished product." Also, I will learn new creative writing teaching techniques from contemporary writers.