[CW-Grad] A lot to read through, but worth it: paid teaching/publishing opportunity

[Robin Russin]

Hi all--

This seems worth a serious look, especially for nonfiction folks.

Robin



Begin forwarded message:

From: Rae Gouirand <rgouirand at memoirjournal.com>
Date: February 2, 2012 1:14:00 PM PST
To: Robin Russin <robin.russin at ucr.edu>
Subject: Re: UC-Riverside / Memoir Journal partnership?

Hi Robin--

Indeed there is (and I did cover it, further down in my last email). We usually run the (In)Visible Memoirs program via a grant-match model, but the San Joaquin/Inland Empire workshops we're trying to start setting up will be entirely grant funded, enabling us to sponsor workshops with orgs and populations that might not otherwise have been able to provide a match. I can't guarantee an exact stipend at this time, because we're still finalizing the exact budget for the program, but it would not be less than $600 for 20 hours of teaching (most instructors schedule their workshops in ten 2-hour sessions), and it could well be more; there will also be some provisional funding for instructors who lead workshops in especially remote areas (as we have an interests in running at least a few workshops on reservations). We'll know our exact numbers in June when the grant becomes official, but that $30/hour stipend model is a baseline. Participating instructors design and teach workshops with specific populations in their communities, and get paid/included in a nationally distributed anthology for it--it's a pretty great match for writers at MFA programs; grad students are traditionally the backbone of our program (though not the only writers who teach for us). 

I'm at the stage right now where I'm trying to get in touch with orgs/writers/departments all throughout the area to begin getting prospective instructors talking to me about workshops they'd like to set up, because the program will hit the ground running later this summer. We'll be funding 24 workshop series a year over the next two years. I've already talked with a number of people in Riverside, and would love to reach as many as possible--so please do have your students get in touch with me ASAP if there is interest among them. And do let me know if you have any more questions!

All best - 
Rae

On Thu, Feb 2, 2012 at 11:32 AM, Robin Russin <robin.russin at ucr.edu> wrote:
Hi Rae--

Quick question-- maybe I'm just not seeing it, but is there any pay for teaching, or is it strictly volunteer? That obviously might make a difference to starving students....

Best,

Robin



On Jan 30, 2012, at 1:15 PM, Rae Gouirand wrote:

Hi Robin!

Thanks so much for your quick email--I've been contacting departments and orgs wherever I can find them, so that we can expand the (In)Visible Memoirs project from the ground up.

In short, in case this is useful to you and your fellow faculty: Memoir Journal expects to receive grant funding (it's not definite yet, but highly likely) late this spring that we're going to funnel directly into building (In)Visible Memoirs workshops in San Joaquin/the Inland Empire. In the past, we've worked with existing community organizations who have existing client bases, but it doesn't have to be that way--if a prospective instructor comes along, and wants to pull together a 'group,' and can do so successfully, there's no requirement that there be a community organization involved (it just makes finding a place to hold the workshop a lot easier, though libraries and campuses sometimes agree to offer space to these kinds of programs). The project focuses on underserved populations, but not every single participant be either low-income or a person of color, though population-specific workshops work best (we did a great one last spring in Berkeley with an elderly lesbian community, for example, and have one for young Native drummers starting next month way up on a reservation in Alturas).

Learn more general stuff about the (In)Visible Memoirs project here:
http://www.memoirjournal.net/invisible_memoirs/

(...but ignore the rough sketch on the website of how the numbers/cofunding works: that wouldn't apply here if the grant comes through as expected; writers teaching under this grant may well get paid more than our regular (In)Visible stipend rate, and/or have the option of teaching longer or repeating workshop series.)

So, yes: think on all of this, let me know what comes to mind (MFA students are the backbone of the program, but we're wide open to working with any teaching writer with a project that clicks with our mission), and *please* spread the word to any other writers you know in your area that we are looking to forge partnerships right now! I'd love to help lots of passionate teaching writers make something really great happen. :)

All best,
Rae





--
Rae Gouirand
Education Programs Manager
Memoir Journal


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