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Friends, Thurberites, Parents of Potential Campers, lend me your ears.

Although the season seems to come earlier and earlier every year, there is no wavering in our excitement to announce that registration for 2014 Thurber Summer Writing Camp is officially open!

WAIT!   

I know your immediate reaction is one of two things: Stop reading to go to the website and register (you know our camp fills fast) OR stop reading because this does not pertain to you.

Before you do either, let me explain why our camp is so great and important to this community.  Thurber House offers a chance for students in grades 2-8 to explore the realm of creative writing beyond the classroom. We have the opportunity to supplement what they are learning in school with a form of writing that allows a young writer’s imagination to stretch beyond limits. We pride ourselves in being a unique and encouraging experience, helping to instill a sense of confidence and love for writing and learning.

Now, if you don’t know anyone who is in 2nd – 8th grade, that’s okay. You can stop reading after this paragraph. To help keep our programming available to all students, we offer scholarships for summer camp to families with financial need. We hope that although you can’t send a camper to us, you will consider making a donation to help a student come to camp whom otherwise may not be afforded the opportunity. Click here for more information about how to make a donation (and make sure to tell us that it’s for summer camp).

This all sounds great, right? So you are probably asking, who should attend our camp? Good question. Each summer we have a wide range of “types” of students come through our doors. Someone who is a good fit for our program is someone who loves to think up stories and ideas. Regardless of whether that someone is an extremely loquacious writer, or a writer looking to get better at putting those great ideas down on paper, that someone will fit in well here. If you’re unsure, give us a call at 614-464-1032 ext. 13 and we would be happy to discuss our camp with you.

The next big question is when. Not to worry, here are our 2014 dates:

2-3 Grade ($100*)
12:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
June 9-13, June 16-20

4/5 Grade ($175*)
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.,.
June 23-27, July 7-11, July 14-18

6-8 Grade ($175*)
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
July 21-25, July 28-August 1, August 4-8

All camp sessions are held at the Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue, next door to Thurber House. Enrollment is first-come, first-served, and each week of camp is limited to 40 students. Campers will be split into four groups of ten, with one counselor per group. Grade levels refer to the grade the student will be entering in the fall. 

*We do offer a limited amount of scholarship to those with financial need. See our website for more information about how to apply.

Hope to see you this summer!

by Victoria, Thurber House Intern

Hello and goodbye blog readers! It’s Victoria the Intern (at least for another eight hours) giving you the final update as to what I’ve been up to at Thurber House.

Since my last update, I’ve embraced my very limited artistic ability by creating some fun, inspirational, and only slightly lame posters for Thurber’s summer camp. I got to release my inner murderer/grand thief/CSI detective as I helped brainstorm ideas for various summer camp mysteries. And, I also connected with my inner mailman too, as I spent some time delivering and mailing out Flip the Page books.

Since this is my last day, I always try to walk away from an experience with a new quote due to my slightly unhealthy obsession with them. It’s only fitting that the one I’ve collected from Thurber House be from Mr. James Thurber himself: “Don’t get it right, get it written”.

If I’ve learned anything this week, it’s that being a writer is hard; despite whatever romantic notions people have about words effortlessly flowing onto pages (I can personally attest that that is not the case). More often than not, I try so hard to write right that I forget about what’s really important – writing. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter how you write something, it’s that you did. And so, I’m going to try to apply Thurber’s words of wisdom to my future as a writer and spend less time focusing on how I’m going to phrase something and instead just write it.

All in all, I’ve had so much fun spending the week here! I was a little worried at first because I didn’t know how the other workers would react to having some awkward, lingering high school student take up space for the week, but they have all been amazing. Everyone here has been so incredibly nice, helpful, and supportive as they showered me with Snack Packs, answers, and encouragement.

And that was my final update! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my silly, little posts. I’m so happy that I got an opportunity to intern here at Thurber House, which I now know for sure is, as my friend’s little sister said, “the best place on Earth”.

Staff Note: All of us at Thurber House loved having Victoria here! She was incredibly helpful, didn’t complain about the boring tasks and had great input in some of our camp activities (we’re a little scared at how readily she helped create our camp mysteries!). We wish we could have her for longer but we know she will do amazing things! 

by Victoria, Thurber House Intern

Hello again blog readers! This is a midweek update as to what I – Victoria the Intern – have been up to here at Thurber House.

Three days into my internship and I have learned a lot of things – the life and writings of James Thurber, the importance of organization, and the superiority of Nickles Donut Fair (absolutely true). I’ve also managed to start up my own collection of pens, become an Excel spreadsheet master (which is harder than it looks, let me tell you), test out every single marker/pen/glue stick within a five-mile radius, and do a lot of inventory.

But, mostly I’ve just been helping Thurber prepare for their Summer Camp, which looks like so much fun that I’m contemplating building a time machine and going back in time to when I was a 2nd - 8th grader just to join! Seriously – awesome games, interesting writing prompts, and stories galore – what better way to spend your summer?

For my summer, I plan on reading all the books I’ve been assigned to read for school next year. This should take about the entire summer since I decided to take four different English classes (I know, I’m crazy). Here are a few books not for school that I plan on reading:

On my Want to Read List: In Search of Lost Time (Marcel Proust), Nine Stories (J.D. Salinger), and The Fault in Our Stars (John Green).

On my Currently Reading List (AKA the books that are collecting dust in my room): Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut) and a truck full of my guilty pleasure – Sarah Dessen novels.

And that was your midweek update! Check in on Friday for the final entry! 

YOUNG WRITERS’ STUDIO

Designed for 9-12 grade students Young Writers’ Studio offers a unique opportunity to grow your love for writing in a creative and relaxed environment. During each session you will participate in a fun lesson as well as have the opportunity for your own writing to be reviewed by your peers. This enthusiastic group consistently surprises us with their amazing abilities and passion for writing. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just curious what it’s all about, Young Writers’ Studio is happy to welcome you to the group and show you how fun writing can be.  

All sessions are held on Wednesdays from 6–8 p.m. at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Avenue.  Each session is $15 and can be paid at the door, or register online. For more information email Meg Brown at [email protected].

Dates for Fall 2012:
September 12, 26
October 10, 24
November 7, 25
December 12

PEN AND TELL IT!

Thurber House’s Pen and Tell It! classes are now open for registration! These one-day workshops for 4^th-6^th grade writers offer in-depth and hands-on opportunities to learn more about a particular genre of writing. You can register for one class for $15, or both for $25. The registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 26.

Is fiction your favorite genre? Join Paul Hammock for Fiction Writing on Sunday, November 4 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. to learn how to use all of your senses to create an imaginative tale.

What if you’re in the mood for a spooky adventure? On Sunday, November 11 from 1:00-4:00 p.m., come learn from storyteller Jim Flanagan how to keep your reader on the edge of their seats with our suspense writing workshop.

For more information, or to print a registration form, click here.

GHOST WRITING WORKSHOPS

Join Thurber House and local libraries for free writing workshops that explore other-worldly realms of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. The workshops for 4th-6th graders are sure to be full of laughter and fun as Thurber House teachers, Kathy Matthews and Valerie Cumming, work with the group to collaborate on a James Thurber-like story that weaves ghosts, suspense, and hilarity into one engaging tale.

Each session ends at 3:30 for parent sharing and refreshments. For more information, click here.

Registration is mandatory and can be completed at each participating library.

Monday, October 1^st 6:00-8:00 p.m. – CML’s Dublin Branch Library
Thursday October 4^th, 6:00-8:00 p.m. – Bexley Public Library
Saturday October 13^th, 2:00-4:00 p.m. – CML’s Whetstone Branch Library

All participants and their families are invited to Thurber Center on Sunday, October 28 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. to watch their stories performed by local actors and share in some fun at the “haunted” Thurber House.

We have creative writing programs all year! If you don’t want to be left out of the fun, join our mailing list. For information on all that we offer, click here.

James’ sound advice is often heard at Thurber House’s Young Writers’ Studio.  As we approach YWS’s historic, five-year Anniversary, I’d like to thank the staff at Thurber House, the numerous teen writers who have invested their talent and time and the authors, writers and educators who have shared their wisdom with all of us over the past five years.

YWS continues to offer teen writers the chance to receive feedback on their writing, learn new techniques, explore different writing genres and have fun in a supportive environment with teens who love to write.

Join us the following up-coming Wednesdays:

January 19

February 2
February 16

March 2
March 16
March 30

April 13
April 27

All sessions are from 6:30 ? 8:30 p.m. at Thurber House, 77 Jefferson Avenue, the restored home of author, humorist, and New Yorker cartoonist James Thurber. Each session is $15 and can be paid at the door, or register online for all ten sessions for $150. A limited number of scholarships are available. For more information call Pat Shannon at 614-464-1032 ext.13 or visit www.thurberhouse.org. Space is limited and is first-come, first served.

Click here to register for all ten sessions online.

Some Writing Resources:
Denison University Summer Writing Workshop for teens: http://reynolds.denison.edu/about/

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