A typical session might begin with student readings of selected work. The class might then discuss what they've read and generate ideas they can use to start writing. Writers are encouraged to develop a course outline with lesson plans before the start of the residency. At the end of the residency, a culminating activity will occur in the form of an anthology of student work, broadside, chapbook, or staged reading. Each student is expected to contribute to the final project.
Writers conduct in-class workshops once a week, for a period of ten to twelve weeks.
Classes typically last 45 minutes to one hour, depending on the school schedule. PEN in the Classroom is currently made possible in part by grants from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, California Community Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts. Past funders have included the Herb Alpert and Times Mirror Foundations, as well as support from individuals. If you are a PEN member interested in conducting a residency or a teacher who would like to host a writer, contact the PITC program coordinator to receive an application. Books of poetry include Guilty and Zen and the Art of Changing Diapers .