Writer’s Workshop; Wednesdays, 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. First class is Sept. 7.

Poetry: Education by the Muses Thursdays beginning at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The first class is September 15.

Writer’s Workshop

“This course’s approach to good writing is both intuitive and straight forward and is based on imitation. Graphic proof reading and editing takes place before the eyes of the students using the white board and marking tools as I would in a regular classroom. Instead of systematic grammar learned apart from the art of writing well, the knowledge of grammatical rules for good writing are learned in context and embedded in the experience of writing and, most important of all, re-writing.”

“The class begins by attracting attention to words and of choosing them carefully to convey the intended meaning – “getting the words right” is our motto. Acquiring this awareness of correct usage helps the student distinguish between spoken and written English.”

“Next, we notice that good sentences adhere to Nature, that is, they conform to the cyclic nature of the universe, having a beginning, middle, and end. “End”, however, means completion rather than destruction; a kind of perfection, like that of joined lines that become a circle. Thus, our thoughts are to be conveyed clearly – but always with delight – as the dual experience of written communication.”

“It follows that the next goal is the well written paragraph, that also conforms to the organic structure of beginning, middle and end – the gathering of purposeful sentences to form an organic body of knowledge of the topic.”

“The final goal of the course is to enable students to see, to experience, that an essay is a series of meaningful sentences in integrated paragraphs that in turn make up what today we call response papers, reaction papers, and the essay.”

“Parents, I look forward to greeting your sons and daughters this Fall in our Writer’s Workshop. If your student has already taken this course there is much good to be had in “giving it another go”. I assure you that when it comes to viewing writing as an art, not as a science, one will never stop learning and improving in the art of the writing.”

Open to ages 13 on up.

Specifics for Writer’s Workshop:

• There will be 28 hours of class time each semester. Each class will be 2 hours long and will take place in one of our online classrooms. There will be 14 weeks of classes.
• The classes will be on Wednesdays beginning at 8:30 a.m. Pacific Time. The first class is September 7.
• Tuition is $395 per semester. If you register for both semesters you will receive a 10% tuition discount. Tuition will be $711 rather than $790.
• Family discounts are available for those who would like to enroll two or more students. The discount is 20% for all students after the first one.
• To take advantage of these family discounts you may enroll by mail sending the appropriate payment. You can also enroll with us by phone at 360-496-0007. Or you may simply enroll your students here online and send us an email at info@greatbooksdiscussions.org requesting your family discount. We’ll promptly mail a check to you in the amount of the discount.
• The course will continue with a second semester of 14 two hour classes to begin in January. Class size limited to 12 students.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the Writing course feel free to write to Dr. Taylor at jamesstaylor22@gmail.com

To enroll:

Step
1: Email your student’s name, address, phone number, email address, and name of the
desired class to info@greatbooksdiscussions.org

Step
2: Make Payment. Tuition may be paid securely with a credit card online below or by
phone at 360-496-0007.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call us at 1-360-496-0007.
We are happy to speak with you.

Poetry: Education by the Muses

What is this class? Here’s Dr. Taylor to tell you:

“Why don’t poets say what they mean? I answer, they do, we just need to listen closely and learn to read poetry in the spirit of the Muse.” “Do you hate poetry? I would too if I had been taught by teachers who cut, chop and dissect the poem until it dies a brutal death. And too often such a manner of “teaching poetry” kills something in our souls, as well. Millions of students graduate from high school, and from college too, having a keen distaste for poetry and the poetic way of seeing life. It was never thus in the past — and the remedy is here and now, following the natural way of reading poetry before the academics and specialists got hold of it and ruined one of the greatest experiences of a good education.”

“I say let the poem be your teacher and I will be your guide. We will read and talk about poems from the huge treasury of world poetry, from Mother Goose and the English tradition, to medieveal Arab poets to modern American poetry.”

Open to age 14 on up.

Specifics for Poetry: Education by the Muses

• There will be 28 hours of class time each semester. Each class will be an hour and a half long and will take place in one of our online classrooms. There will be 14 weeks of classes.
• The classes will be on Thursdays beginning at  1:00 p.m. Pacific Time. The first class is September 15.
• Tuition is $295 per semester. If you register for both semesters you will receive a 20% tuition discount. Tuition will be $531 rather than $590.
• Family discounts are available for those who would like to enroll two or more students. The discount is 20% for all students after the first one.
• The courses will continue with a second semester of 14 two hour classes to begin in January.