June in Butler’s English Department means only one thing: Creative Writing Camp. For the teachers and mentors, this means two straight weeks of nothing but hanging out with kids who love writing and reading. Campers, ranging from third- to twelfth-graders, are guided through exciting, challenging, and engaging workshops with the end goals of having fun with language, practicing their writing skills, and getting some insider knowledge from working writers and professors. The campers get to experience all avenues of professional writing, from slam poetry to playwriting, and they get to explore the ways writing crosses over into other humanities, like history and art. Camp mentors, usually Butler English undergraduates and MFA students, lead daily hour-long workshops on topics as varied as “Exquisite Corpse” poetry to creating the best 100-word flash fiction stories. Author and MFA adjunct Ben Winters had his 8th and 9th grade students fill out tournament “brackets” that pitted the poetic stylings of Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams, and Robert Frost against each other (Mr. Shakespeare won the class over with his iambic pentameter). At the end of each day, campers are encouraged to share their works with their peers to grow their public speaking skills and confidence. The week concludes with each camper reading their favorite work aloud to their parents and peers.
To see student work, check out the Camp’s blog. The Creative Writing Camp is part of the Butler Bridge program, which runs year-round activities for young writers. For more information on how to get involved with Bridge or the Creative Writing Camp, contact Annie Minnich-Beck or Chris Speckman.