SAINT PAUL (March 2010) – Writing Mental Illness, a class for those with mental illness who are interested in writing literature about their experiences, will take place in April and May at the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Minnesota’s Metro East, located within the Ramsey County Mental Health Clinic (St. Paul).
“Because of Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ I know that one can convey in literature the experience of having a mental illness,” says Alison Bergblom Johnson, instructor of Writing Mental Illness. “In the class we will study successful works of literature with mental illness at or near their center, and each student will write a piece of literature regarding experiences with mental illness.” The class will meet for two hours a week for eight weeks, culminating in a student-bound anthology and a class reading.
The Instructor
Alison Bergblom Johnson runs the reading series Words in Shades of Gray and Between. She has read her work at the Walker Art Center, 7th Street Entry of First Avenue, Tellabration 2009, and at Patrick's Cabaret. She also has been a resident at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center with support from the Jerome Foundation. For more information about Alison’s work, visit: Alison Bergblom Johnson, Writer.
Dates
Monday(s), April 5 – May 24 (eight sessions).
Time & Location
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM.
1919 University Avenue W., Suite 120, Saint Paul, MN.
Costs
The cost for eight sessions is $30 per person and includes:
· 16 hours of direct instruction with this teaching artist.
· Create your own piece of literature regarding experiences with mental illness.
· A chance to bind a book including work by all participants, producing three copies for each person to take home.
· An opportunity to share written work in a class reading.
What to Submit
Please download and complete a registration form (http://www.vsaartsmn.org/forms.html#edu27reg) and mail along with payment of $30 by check payable to "VSA arts of Minnesota" to:
VSA arts of Minnesota
528 Hennepin Avenue S., Suite 305
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Your registration will become official only after your registration form and payment have been received.
Registration deadline is March 29.
Questions or special accommodations
Please call Jenea Rewertz-Targui, Arts in Education Coordinator, at 612-332-3888 ext. 3, or send an email to: jenea@vsaartsmn.org.
This class is sponsored by VSA arts of Minnesota with space made available by Milestones to Recovery, Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Minnesota (www.mhcsn.org).
VSA arts of Minnesota (www.vsaartsmn.org) works to create a community where people with disabilities can learn through, participate in and access the arts.
The mission of the Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network of Minnesota (www.mhcsn.org) is to transform, empower and build connections in our communities by promoting recovery and wellness.
