Chautauqua Institution Writer in Residence, July, 2010

Chautauqua Institution Writer's Workshop, July, 2010

Prague Summer Program 2007

New York University Summer Intensive Writing Workshop 2007

Geneva Writer's Conference 2006

Mike, Patricia Hampl, and Adolfo Neufeld 2006 Geneva Writer's Conference

Writer's in Paradise Creative Writing Workshop, St. Petersburg, Florida 2005

Stonecoast Summer Writer's Conference

Paris Writer's Workshop 2003

Selected Events and Appearances

READINGS, WORKSHOPS AND VISITING WRITER INVITATIONS

2010
Midland Library, Workshop on persona and voice in memoir, Midland, MI, March 23, 2010. Midland Library

Associated Writing Programs (AWP) National Convention, Denver, CO. April 7 -11. Two panels. Place in creative nonfiction and research in memoir.

In Praise of the Essay , April 24, 2010, Fordham University, New York City. A talk on reading like a writer and participation on an editor's panel. In Praise of the Essay
Brevity Blog

Solistice MFA Residency, Pine Manor College, July 13-16, 2010. Craft talk on reading like a writer, a reading, and individual conferences with students.

Chautauqua Writer's Center, Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop, July 17-24, 2010. Memoir workshop, reading, and craft talk. Chautauqua.

Vermont Studio Center, Writer-in-Residence, October 26- 31, 2010. Public reading, and craft talk, and individual conferences. Vermont Studio Center.

Nonfiction Now Conference, University of Iowa, November 4-6, 2010. Two panels. Beyond the I: memoir as cultural criticism and The person within myself: constructing the narrative persona in creative nonfiction.

2009
Stonecoast/​University of Southern Maine, MFA Residency, Visiting Writer. Craft talk on memory, imagination and research in memoir; reading, and visits to creative nonfiction workshop.

AWP Conference,Chicago. two panels, one on reading like a writer and the other a retrospective on Fourth Genre's ten year contribution to creative nonfiction.

Portage District Library, Memoir workshop, Portage, Michigan

University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, Visiting Writer. Reading, class visits, and craft talk.

Boise State University, Boise, ID. Class visit. Q and A.

Solistice MFA Summer Residency. Reading, craft talk on persona and voice, and individual conferences.

2008
AWP, New York City. Two panels, voice/​persona in memoir, and creative nonfiction meets composition.

Kachemak Bay Writer’s Conference, Homer, Alaska. Reading, two memoir workshops, craft talk, editor’s panel, individual conferences.

Solistice MFA Summer Residency. Reading, craft talk, and individual conferences.

Florida Gulf Coast Writer's Conference, Sanibel Island, Florida. Reading, editor’s panel, two memoir workshops, and individual conferences.

Central Oklahoma University, Oklahoma City, OK. Public talk on composition and creative nonfiction, and class visits.

2007
Solstice MFA Residency, Chestnut Hil, MA. Reading, craft talk, and individual conferences.

Nonfiction Now, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Two panels, creative nonfiction and composition, and editing a literary journal.

Muskegon Community College, Muskegon, MI. Reading.

New York University Summer Writing Intensive, Distinguished Visiting Writer. Workshop, reading, craft talk, and individual conferences.

Prague Summer Writing Program, Prague, Czech Republic. Workshop, reading, and individual conferences.

Winter Wheat Writer’s Conference, Bowling Green University, Bowling Green, OH. Reading and craft talk on memoir.

2005-2006
Geneva Writer’s Conference, Geneva, Switzerland
University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH. Keynote Address.
DePaul University, Chicago
Columbia College, Chicago
Writers in Paradise, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
Northwestern University Writers Conference Chicago, IL.
Vermont College Postgraduate Summer Conference, Montpeiler, VT
California State University Summer Arts Festival: Fresno State University, Fresno, CA
SUNY Binghamton, Writing By Degrees Conference
Nonfiction NOW, University of Iowa.
AWP Conference, Austin, Texas
AWP Conference, Vancouver, Canada
Alma College, Alma, MI
Ludington Writer’s Series, Ludington, MI
University of Michigan/​Flint, Flint, MI

2003-2004
Paris Writer’s Conference, Paris, France
Roanoke College, Roanoke, Virginia,
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida
Trinity Preparatory School, Orlando Florida
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY
SUNY Binghampton, NY
University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY
Ashland University, Ashland, Ohio
College of Du Page, Du Page, IL
Columbia College, Chicago, IL
Bancroft School, Worcester, MA,
Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
Emerson College, Boston, MA
Stonecoast Writer’s Conference, Brunswick/​Freeport, Maine
Writing Your Self Conference, Santa Fe, NM
Vermont College Postgraduate Summer Conference, Montpeiler, VT
Vermont College MFA Program, Montpeiler, VT
Baseball and Literature Conference: Indiana State Univesity, Terre Haute, IN
Cape May Writer's Conference, Cape May, NJ
Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI
Oakland University, Rochester, MI
Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo, MI
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI, Contemporary Writers’ Series,
Gwen Frostic Reading Series:Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI
Interlochen Arts Academy, Interlochen, MI
Delta College, University Center, MI
Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI
Monroe Community College, Monroe, MI
Women’s Literary Society of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, MI
Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn MI
Ludington Writer’s Series, Ludington, MI
Cranbrook Writer’s Conference, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Big Ten Ten Alumni Magazine Editor's Conference: Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

SELECTED BOOKSTORE READINGS

2008
Homer Bookstore, Homer, Alaska

2005-2007
Barnes and Noble Bookstore, Chicago, IL
Schuler Books, East Lansing, Okemos, Grand Rapids, MI

2003-2004
W H Smith Bookstore, Paris, France
Newtonville Books, Newtonville, MA
Barnes and Noble Bookstores, Rochester, MI
Borders Bookstore, Traverse City, MI
Shaman Drum Bookstore, Ann Arbor, MI
Schuler Books, East Lansing, Okemos, Grand Rapids, MI
Horizon Books, Traverse City, MI

SELECTED LIBRARY READINGS, TALKS, AND WORKSHOPS

2009
Portage District Library, Portage, MI

2005-2006
Michigan Writer’s Series: Michigan State University Library, East Lansing, MI
Traverse City District Library, Traverse City, MI
Leelanau County Library, Northport, MI

2003-2004
Portage District Library, Portage, MI
Big Rapids Library, Big Rapids, MI
Michigan, State University Library, Michigan Writer’s Series, East Lansing, MI.
Big Rapids Library, Big Rapids, MI
Leelanau County Library, Northport, MI
West Branch Library, West Branch, MI

CONTESTS AND BOOK PRIZES JUDGED 2010

Nonfiction Judge for the L.L. Winship/​PEN New England Book Awards, Spring 2010.
Pen Winship Book Prize.

Winner: Elyssa East, Dogtown: Death and Enchantment in a New England Ghost Town

Runner Up: Tracy Kidder, Strength in What Remains

Short List:
The Addict, Michael Stein
The Bauhaus Group, Nicholas Fox Weber
Eureka Man, Alan Hirshfield

Special Mention:
In Her Wake, Nancy Rappaport
Fixing My Gaze, Susan R. Berry
Tracing Paradise, Dawn Potter
The Winter Sun, Fanny Howe
Close Calls With Nonsense, Stephen Burt

Judge, Fourth Genre:Explorations in Nonfiction Michael Steinberg Essay Prize. Spring 2010. Formerly Fourth Genre Editor's Prize, renamed in honor of Michael Steinberg's contribution as Founding Editor. Fourth Genre Journal

First Place: “Circling My Father” by Sandell Morse
Finalist: “Genesis” by Andrew Hood

Special Mention:
“The Cockroach and the Essayist” by Lucas Mann
“The Father of Disorder” by Jessica Wilbanks
“Houses Without Cellars” by Benjamin Busch
“Human, Swimming” by Marsha McGregor
“The Shape of Fear” by Sarah Gorham

Honorable Mention:
“Between Shock and Knife” by Felicia Rose Chavez
“Good Idea #3: peanut butter” by Priscilla Kinter
“Ghost Story” by Annie Nilsson
“The Language of Men” by Anthony D’Aries

Judge for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Donald Murray Prize for an essay on teaching or writing, Winter, 2010. Donald Murray Prize.

Winner: Jo Scott Coe, Recovering Teacher

Short List:
Special Mention: Benjamin Busch, Growth Rings
Emily Robateau, A Slip Into The Breaks

Honorable Mention:
David Bartholomae, Everything Was Going Quite Smoothly Until I Stumbled On a Footnote,
Lee Upton, The Bigamists: Writers Crossing Genres
Rob Schnelle, Taking the Pulse of the Essay

OTHER CONTESTS JUDGED

Annie Dillard Creative Nonfiction Award, Bellingham Review, 1999.

National Association of Two Year Colleges Award for Literary Nonfiction, 2002.

Goucher College MFA Program Memoir Award, 2005 and 2008.

Selected Works

Memoir
Still Pitching: A Memoir
“My favorite book of the year. An astonishing look at the pains of growing up.”
--Dan Smith, WVTF Virginia, Public Radio
Collection/Anthology
Peninsula: Essays and Memoirs From Michigan
“Wherever readers look, they’ll find a different essay, a different voice, a different Michigan.”
-- Crab Orchard Review
A Stage Play co-authored with Bob Baldori
I'm Almost Famous
"An evening of energy, hot music, laughs and sheer entertainment." Lansing State Journal
Anthology of/on Creative Nonfiction
The Fourth Genre: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction
“Offers the most thorough and teachable introduction available to this exciting genre.”
--John Boe, Editor, Writing on the Edge
Teaching/Writing
Those Who Do, Can: Teachers Writing, Writers Teaching -- A Sourcebook
"Root and Steinberg will be on the shelf near my desk that holds the most important books about the teaching of writing." -Donald Murray, A Writer Teaches Writing and Write to Learn
Literary Journal
Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction (Founding Editor)
"Fourth Genre is the Paris Review of nonfiction journals." Newpages.com
Writing Teaching Text
The Writer's Way: A Process-to-Product Approach to Writing
The Writer’s Way is the best book I’ve found yet for teaching first quarter Freshmen their first English writing sequence….” Dr. Sheila Coghill, Moorhead State University.