Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Writing Workshop Confronts Mental Health Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Writing Workshop Seeks True Stories of Mental Illness

Pittsburgh, PA – August 12, 2013 – A new writing workshop—Writing Away the Stigma: With True Stories Well Told—invites residents of southwestern Pennsylvania to write true stories about the hardships and satisfactions of confronting mental health problems. 12 accepted applicants will develop their stories and craft over the course of 5 weekly sessions under the guidance of Lee Gutkind, founder and editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine.
Lee Gutkind

“Lee Gutkind will guide individuals, family members, and friends through the story writing experience from start to finish,” said Joni Schwager, executive director of the Staunton Farm Foundation, which is co-sponsoring the event with the Creative Nonfiction Foundation. “The more we understand about mental illness, how it affects so many people—from the very young to the elderly—the more easily we will be able to understand and help people through the experience.”

The deadline for application materials is September 15th, and sessions begin on October 21st. The workshop will take place at the University Club at the University of Pittsburgh. There is no charge to the accepted participants.

“The way to erase the stigma that hampers so many people who have suffered from mental illness, and who are now back in school and the workforce,” says Lee Gutkind, “is for people to open up and write true stories about their experiences—the challenges, the difficulties, and the rewards of recovery.”

Find more information at creativenonfiction.org/stigma-workshop.


Lee Gutkind is the author of many creative nonfiction books about healthcare, including Stuck in Time: The Tragedy of Childhood Mental Illness, for which he appeared on many national radio and TV shows, including Good Morning America. He is currently Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Consortium for Science Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. www.leegutkind.com

The Creative Nonfiction Foundation pursues educational and publishing initiatives in the genre of literary nonfiction. Its objectives are to provide venues, including Creative Nonfiction magazine, for high quality nonfiction prose; to serve as the singular strongest voice of the genre; and to broaden the genre’s impact in the literary arena by providing an array of educational services and publishing activities. www.creativenonfiction.org


The Staunton Farm Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people who live with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. The Foundation works to enhance behavioral health treatment and support by advancing best practices through grant making to non-profit organizations in ten southwestern Pennsylvania counties. www.stauntonfarm.org

For interview requests and other media-related inquiries, please contact:
Chad Vogler | (412) 688-0304 | vogler@creativenonfiction.org

Posted on behalf of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates.  Joyce Kane is the owner of Cybertary Pittsburgh, a Virtual Administrative support company, providing virtual office support, personal and executive assistance, creative design services and light bookkeeping.  Cybertary works with businesses and busy individuals to help them work 'on' their business rather than 'in' their business.  www.Cybertary.com/Pittsburgh

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