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The Montpellier Writing Seminars are administered
by the Glories
of France, one of UNO's longest running and most successful study-abroad
opportunities. Montpellier is a medium sized city, offering students all the
advantages of a dynamic and cosmopolitan city but also the provincial charm
of southern France, just minutes from the Mediterranean beaches. Accommodation
is in the co-ed dormitories of the Université de Montpellier, but writing
students may, for a small increase in cost, also opt for hotel-style accomodations
in the downtown area. Please email for
more details if you wish the housing upgrade.
Go straight to the application form.
Courses in Writing and Literature
Creative Writing Multi-Genre Workshop, with Kay Murphy
Kay Murphy is the author of two collections of poetry, The Autopsy and Belief Blues and co-editor of Women Poets Workshop into Print. Her poetry, fiction, and reviews have appeared in journals such as The American Book Review, Ascent, Chelsea, Fiction International, North American Review, College English, and Poetry. She is an Associate Professor of English at the University of New Orleans and Poetry Editor of Bayou. In 2001 she received the university-wide Alumnae Excellence in Teaching Award and in 2002 she received an Individual writer’s grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Arts.
ENGLISH 6171 INTENSIVE FICTION WRITING
Admission by permission of the department. Training in the writing of short stories and novels, taught in an intensive (short term) format, in residence.
ENGLISH 6174 INTENSIVE NON FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP
Admission by permission of the department. Training in the writing of creative nonfiction, taught in an intensive (short term) format, in residence. In this workshop students will present their writings for review and critique by the instructor and the rest of the class, and will write critiques of other students' work as well. This class is a core course for Low Residency MFA students.
ENGLISH 6173 INTENSIVE POETRY WRITING
Admission by permission of the department. Training in the writing of poetry, taught in an intensive (short term) format, in residence. This mixed-genre workshop will focus on participants' writing; work will be read closely and critiqued by both the instructor and other class members.
Playwriting with Phil Karnel
FTCA 4200 Advanced Playwriting, 6200 Seminar in Playwriting, or 6207 Intensive Seminar in Playwriting
FTCA 6207 Intensive Seminar in Playwriting
Intensive writing workshop course taking advantage of Montpellier and focusing creatively on Moliere’s celebrated work. Students will create their first draft of act
one of an intended full length play utilizing Moliere’s signature themes of pretentiousness, corruption, and hypocrisy as an inspiration for their original comedy.
As a workshop course, we will probably be meeting on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays for approximately three hours allowing for sufficient time outside of scheduled sessions to work on our chosen original scripts.
Students will submit a 10-20 page first draft of act one before the first Montpellier session and will continue to write and revise their work while in residence.
Sessions will include discussions of individual work in progress as well as lectures on Moliere, discussion/analysis of field trips, and some writing exercise assignments.
Field Trips: Working in Moliere’s backyard will be enhanced with a field trip to the International Theatre Festival held in nearby Avaigon. A second field trip to the Radio/Theatre Festival held in Montpellier is also planned. The field trip to Paris will tentatively include a tour of the Comedie Francais Theatre.
Writing comedy is no easy task, but using Moliere as a guide and with the collective support of workshop participation, we can have a productive as well as a fun writing experience.
.
Writing and literature students are also welcome on any of the
weekly field trips to nearby historic sites such as Carcassone or Barcelona,
as well as the trip to Paris. The program also provides a weekly bus to the
nearby beaches, though students may easily access them on their own.
Go
to the Application Form
Other Activities
Readings and Guest visits: There
will be student readings and also readings by special guest writers who will
also visit the workshops every week. Workshop leader Kay Murphy has been joined
by Peter Cooley, Toi Derricotte, Sebastien Doubinsky, Cynthia Hogue, Bill Lavender,
and many others.
Festivals: Two festivals will be ongoing during your
stay in Montpellier. One is a short train ride away at Avignon. The Festival
d'Avignon is a world renowned gathering of artists in theatre, music and dance.
Click here
to view the festival web site. And in Montpellier itself you will find Radio-France,
an exciting annual festival of music and theatre.
Field Trips: The writing workshops in Montpellier feature
several excursions to nearby sites, including Sete, where Valery is buried.
Included in the program cost is a weekend excursion to Paris for visits to the
Louvre, the Sacré Coeur, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the historic Shakespeare
and Company, and other Paris' sights of your choosing. Besides this major trip,
one other excursion is offered each week, with individual professors offering
other field trips as needed for their classes. Likely excursion destinations
include the village retreat of Cezanne and many contemporary artists, Aix en
Provence; the Gallo-Roman cities of Nimes and Arles; the fortified castle of
Aigues-Mortes on the coast, wehre St. Louis set sail for the Holy Land, beginning
the Crusades; and the medieval walled city of Carcassone, where the movie Robin
Hood, with Kevin Costner, was filmed.
Beaches:
Montpellier's Mediterranean beaches are world renowned. Within a short bus ride
of the Glories of France accomodations you will find Palavas, Carnon, or La
Grande Motte, with other options for white sand, blue water, and hot sun nearby
also. It almost never rains in Montpellier, and classes are scheduled to allow
for beach time every day if you feel the urge.
Nightlife and Culture: Montpellier is a city rich in
historical monuments and museums. A Roman aquaduct runs through the middle of
town. The town square, the Place de la Comédie, is the hub from which
the cobblestone streets radiate into the old city. Along these streets can be
found a vibrant nightlife of bistros, restaurants, and nightclubs.
Graduate Student Housing Options: As a participant
in the Glories of France program, you will automatically have a room assigned
to you in the student dormitory. This dorm is situated a block away from the
university and cafeteria and it is about 20 minutes walk form the Old Town.
Graduate students will be placed in a separate wing in order
to allow more privacy and quiet for your studies. You will be among French
graduate students living in the dormitory. Normally, our graduate students
find our dormitories very comfortable and convenient to classes, afternoon
activities, and excursions.
The rooms, although not luxurious, are comfortable and well
equipped. You have a single bed, a desk, a refrigerator and a sink in every
room. The bathrooms and showers are located down the hall. These are coed
dorms.
If you decide to live away from the group, you will be given
a discount off the program cost, and you will be in charge of making your
own living arrangements directly. UNO cannot take any responsibility for problems
that arise with your rental, but we can help by directing you to resourses
we know of. Email if you would like
further information.
One option is a small studio with Bath and kitchen situated
close to the train station, called L’Observatoire. This costs about
$600 for the stay, and it is on a main bus line that can take you to class
in the mornings. Their e-mail is info@residence-lobservatoire.com
Please contact Marie Kaposchyn, coordinator, at gofmc@uno.edu
if you decide to take one of these options.
Application Form
The Glories of France
