INTERTERM AT THE JACOBSON CENTER FOR WRITING, TEACHING AND
LEARNING
All workshops are taught by the professional teaching staff of the Jacobson Center and held
in Seelye 307.
No pre-registration is necessary EXCEPT for Make Your Case: Become A Stronger Public
Speaker
Kick Start Your Fiction
Peter Sapira
This workshop is based on Bonnie Friedman’s quote, “Successful writers are not the ones
who write the best sentences. They are the ones who keep writing.” In keeping with this
sentiment, this workshop will use a variety of texts and video clips as jumping off points
to create new stories. The goal of this workshop is to give students an inspiring, effective
approach to create new writing, along with the tools to revise their own work.
Tuesday, January 20
1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Grammar but Were Afraid to Ask
Holly Davis
If you suffer from grammar phobia—if you are unsure about grammatical usage and terms, this
workshop will ease your fears. In this workshop you will learn the ten most frequent grammar
and usage errors made by student writers and tips on how to avoid them.
Wednesday, January 21
9 am – 10:30 am
Eight Days A Week: Time Management Strategies
Gail Thomas
Is your life running away with you? This workshop offers effective strategies for managing time,
organizing course work, and planning projects. Topics will include achieving balance, changing
habits, and facing procrastination.
Wednesday, January 21
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Reading Graphic Novels
Sara Eddy
More and more Smith professors assign graphic novels and memoirs as course readings,
from Maus to Fun Home to Abina and the Important Men. Most Smith students love
these works, but few feel prepared to engage them intellectually in the same way they do
a standard academic text. Your professors expect you to regard them as serious, rigorous
work, but how do you read them? Is it the same process as you use for other class
readings? What do the pictures mean? What do you need to know, in order to analyze a
graphic novel or history or memoir? We’ll look at samples from several different graphic
texts together, using Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics as a guide. You will also
try your hand at producing a few panels of a comic strip yourself.
Thursday, January 22
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Write It Again—in Plain English
Brian Turner
In this workshop, we’ll review techniques to clarify and strengthen sentences. We’ll look
at some poorly written sentences, take those sentences apart, and then put them together
again – in plain English.
Thursday, January 22
1 - 2:30 p.m.
Make Your Case: Become A Stronger Public Speaker
Debra Carney
This workshop will present techniques for writing and delivering effective public presentations.
We’ll discuss how to structure speeches, handle stage fright, rehearse, and use visual aids—
among other speech-related topics. Participants will receive a public speaking assignment (a brief
elevator pitch-style speech) prior to the workshop. Enrollment limited to 15 participants.
EMAIL dcarney@smith.edu to register.
Friday, January 23
10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.