The Creative Writing department at the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts offers a comprehensive curriculum of classes in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and drama. The program provides young writers with the opportunity to study the styles and voices of contemporary writers in various genres, develop their own literary talents, and facilitate their command of the writer’s craft. The program will nurture and challenge students in developing the writing and workshop skills necessary to further their voices and foster success in the future – whether pursuing writing, literature, or an unrelated field.
Within this program, students will:
- Read critically and analytically through a writer’s perspective
- Utilize form and craft in order to enhance function and communication of various perspectives
- Write for a specified or intended audience with coherence and clarity
- Communicate ideas and understanding through the vocabulary of the craft
- Critique peer writing using constructive criticism
- Engage in thorough revision of all final pieces
- Meet individually and in group settings with the instructor in order to gain insight into the writing process and further hone style and technique
- Prepare a presentation of work for a school-wide or public venue
The Creative Writing audition is a multi-step process beginning with the submission of a writing portfolio. Students will move on to receive an interview and will be asked to complete an on-site writing assignment.
FACULTY
Caitlin Lee-Hendricks
Caitlin Lee-Hendricks is a 2017 graduate from Barbara Ingram, and a 2021 graduate from the University of Maryland (UMD), College Park. Earning two B.A.s during her time at Maryland—one in Gender Studies and one in English—Caitlin is currently looking to apply for her M.Ed. in Education. She has several years of teaching experience at the University of Maryland, instructing predominantly poetry workshops. Caitlin has placed for the Jiménez-Porter Prize from 2018-2020, and was a recipient for the Henrietta Spiegel Creative Writing Award in 2021. You can find her work in Stylus and 50 Haikus, as well as forthcoming in Scapegoat Review.
Deb Irwin
I was born and raised in Roanoke, VA. My parents were college professors, so reading and writing has always been a powerful part of my life. My favorite days in childhood were spent on a hammock in the backyard with a book and a journal. I earned my undergraduate degree in English at Roanoke College and my masters at Radford University, both in VA. I started my career teaching college English in Kentucky. My first public school teaching job started in 2000 at a middle school in Aberdeen, NC. I spent nine years there and then moved to North Dakota where I was an Instructional Strategist. Following my husband around the country as he transferred government positions, we then went to Northern Virginia where I taught middle school and then served as an Instructional Technology Coach. Most recently, I’ve been in California teaching AP Literature, 11th grade English, and dual enrollment College English. I am very pleased to be back on the east coast and near my family, most of whom are in Roanoke, other parts of VA, NC, and MD. I am beyond excited to begin teaching creative writing and English at Barbara Ingram.