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Creative Writing in the Community: A Guide
Terry Ann Thaxton
Creative Writing in the Community is the first book to focus on the practical side of creative writing. Connecting classroom experiences to community-based projects, it prepares creative writing students for teaching in schools, homeless centers, youth clubs and care homes.
Each chapter is packed with easy-to-use resources including: specific lesson plans; case studies of students working with community groups; lists of suitable writing examples; "how to..." sections; examples and theoretical applications of creative writing pedagogy and techniques; reflection questions; writings by workshop participants.
Enhanced by contributions from directors,students and teachers at successful public programs, Creative Writing in the Community is more than an essential guide for students on creative writing courses and leaders of community-based learning programs; it is practical demonstration of the value of art in society.
Review:
For anyone planning a community writing project, Creative Writing in the Community would be a valuable guidebook. It is tailored towards US-based “service-learning” projects, where students in higher education take part in community evolvement as part of their education. However, it can also be applied more broadly to anyone wanting to work creatively in the community and its guidance is universal. It is suitable both for experienced creative writing teachers and those planning their first project. In its wide scope, it explores a range of teaching contexts, including youth groups, care homes and prisons, and provides advice for working in each.
Its author, Terry Ann Thaxton, aimed to produce a guidebook, anthology and resource book and that is exactly what she has achieved. It is written with enthusiasm and underpinned by experience. There is an emphasis on creative writing pedagogy and so practice is combined with theory. The value of this book lies in the resources that it provides. It focuses specifically on the practical aspects of teaching and offers a range of resources, including session plans to give you new ideas. It is also full of fascinating case studies of students working with community groups in a wide range of contexts. Writing produced by workshop participants is also included to show you what is possible.
This book asks pertinent and timely questions about the role of creative writing in the community and explores the radical potential of writing. In one chapter, it addresses the role of creative writing as social activism and in another explores its potential in giving socially excluded participants a voice. It also considers the experience of creative writing teachers in the community and encourages them to reflect on their own development.
This is an inspiring book that provides valuable resources for teaching creative writing in the community. Thaxton passionately understands the transformative potential of writing and this book will give you the resources to develop your own community-based project.
Amy Spencer
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