Young Writers' Camp
2009 Young Writers' Camp Instructors
Chip Moore (B.A., UNC-Chapel Hill) Chip is the academic director for all three sessions of the Duke Young Writers’ Camp. He is a published fiction and non-fiction writer and has taught Language Arts at Carrington Middle School and Githens Middle School in Durham, NC.
Instructors
Don Campbell (B.A., UNC-Chapel Hill; MAT, UNC-Chapel Hill) A haiku about my approach to reading and writing: We all have fav's but If you are reading them right All books change your life. I believe that the poetic, the inspirational, and the beautiful are all around us and within us, and that writing is either the capture or release of that beauty. I have my Masters in Teaching and a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and English from Carolina and am currently teaching English at Person High School in Roxboro. Sports have always been my first love; and as much as I love reading and writing, nine times out of ten I would choose to be outside playing some game instead. I am energetic and fun-loving and don't pretend to be anything other than that when teaching a class.
Jason Chumley (B.A., University of Tennessee Knoxville; M.A., Duke University). I currently teach English in the Franklin County schools. During the summers, in addition to working at Duke Young Writers’ Camp, I teach low-income students how to write college entrance assays with the non-profit College Summit. I enjoy writing fiction.
Mitch Cox (B.A., Wake Forest; M.A., Duke University) I believe that good writers learn in a variety of ways, but most helpful to me as a writer and teacher of writing has been examining models of good writing and then writing and rewriting. Although I am particularly fond of science fiction and fantasy, I love reading anything. In particular, I feel that my calling is writing poetry. I have a BA in English from Wake Forest University and an MA in English from Duke University. I have taught secondary English (from 8th through 12th grade) for 25 years.
Howard Craft (B.A. North Carolina Central University) I am a playwright and poet. My focus in teaching is to help students learn to pull concrete images from abstract ideas. I have many influences across genres with regards to my writing from August Wilson, to Tolkien. In my spare time I practice aikido.
Tracie Fellers (B.S., Northwestern; M.A., NCSU; M.F.A., UNC-Greensboro) Currently I am a visiting writing instructor at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. I joined the staff of Duke Young Writers’ Camp in 2001. I’ve enjoyed teaching classes in fiction, review writing and science fiction. My fiction and nonfiction work has appeared in roger and Sing Heavenly Muse! I’ve also written features, news stories and commentary for daily newspapers including the News & Record in Greensboro, the Durham Herald-Sun and The Charlotte Observer.
Tera Hickle (B.A., West Virginia; M.A. West Virginia) It is my mission to give each student a challenging and diverse educational experience in a positive learning environment. As a learner, I love finding great books. Some books that have changed my life are Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Marie Curie: A Biography. Outside of the classroom, I am an active volunteer with the ASPCA and the Triangle Beagle Rescue of North Carolina.
Carrie Jacobson (B.A., UNC Chapel Hill) I am currently a middle grades teacher in Durham, after having attended UNC-Chapel Hill for my undergraduate degree, teaching in Chapel Hill Schools for four years, and receiving my masters at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I love to travel and most recently visited Russia for a week. I also enjoy the dramatic arts, both as an audience member and performer back in the day.
Stephanie Johnson (B.A. Stephen F. Austin University) I teach in the Durham Public Schools. I have been an advisor for the yearbook, newspaper and on line newspaper staffs.
Amy Kostrewa (B.A., UNC-CH; M.A., UNC-CH) I’m a National Board Certified teacher and I’ve taught in Orange County Schools for 9 years. I currently teach Creative Writing and serve as the literary journal advisor at Cedar Ridge High School. I credit my passion for writing to the excellent instruction I received while studying at UNC.
Anna Kuykendal (B.A. UNC- Chapel Hill) I'm a middle grades language arts teacher in Durham and I love it! My favorite authors are Marcus Zusak and Cormac McCarthy. In 2002 and 2003, I was awarded the Dean E. Smith Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
Zelda Lockhart (B.A., Norfolk University; M.A., Old Dominion University) I am author of two award- winning novels, Fifth Born and Cold Running Creek. My poetry, short stories and essays appear in journals and anthologies with national distribution. Awards include a Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Legacy Award, Barnes & Noble Discovery Award, and an award from the Black Caucus of The American Library Association. I believe that writing can empower a person to self-define and therefore own as much of herself or himself as possible. Some of my favorite writers are Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Carl Jung, Toni Morrison, and Sharon Olds.
Jill Molloy (B.A., English, University of Richmond) My approach to teaching writing is to give the students the tools and let them find their muse. I like to give short mini lessons followed by exercises that allow students to stretch their imaginations. I am currently enrolled in the library science program at UNC Chapel Hill. After graduating, I hope to find a job as a middle school librarian. Formerly, I was a middle school language arts teacher, and I love working with this age group.
Maggie Morgan (B.A.,English, College of Charleston) I am currently applying to MFA programs in creative writing in hopes that I will further both my writing and teaching careers. I enjoy the experience of teaching at camp most when I have a class excited about writing stories. My strategy for reaching the campers involves breaking down stories into their elements: plot, characters, details, and trying to really get them to write by showing not just telling. I have recently been reading and writing more experimental fiction and hope to use those techniques in my classes next summer.
Karen Oviatt (B.S. Ed Indiana University of Pennsylvania). I’ve taught high school English since 1995 and I have been teaching at Duke Young Writer's Camp since 2001. I am National Board Certified.
Billye (Holiday) Rhodes (B.A., Columbia College) I believe in celebrating/respecting the voice of the student as an individual and as that of a collective/community. I encourage students to examine the strength of their work by teaching one another and exploring voices/ideas outside of the general view. My work is steeped in Fiction Writing and Black Studies. I have directed student programs, performed poetry across the country, conducted writing workshops for students and administrators and am currently completing my MA work at UNC-CH. THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X AND THE COLOR PURPLE have drastically changed my writing and views on community/activism.
Eli Seed (B.S., Appalachian State University) Among my favorite writers are Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Tom Robbins, JK Rowling, Victor Hugo, Khaled Hosseini, and Julia Alvarez. There are no rules for writing other than what you make for yourself, and mine would include being a reader and observer of the world first, then having a good formula that you use to build confidence then abandon later. I like to write, read, run, ride my bike, watch movies, farm, and tear up the dance floor at wedding receptions. I'm an English teacher with a library degree by day.
Sarah Welch (B.S., Middle School Education) I teach language arts at Carrington Middle School, Durham, NC. In 2008, I received AIG Certification through the NC Teacher Consortium.
Dan Wales (B.A., Georgetown University) I graduated on the Dean's List from Georgetown University and have been teaching writing and coaching baseball for over seven years. I have worked with students at every level (college, high school, junior high, etc.). Beyond Literature, my interests include sustainable living, traveling, any nature/outdoor activities (organic farming, hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, camping, exploring, etc.), most sports/games (baseball, football, skiing, chess, pool, etc.), and working with animals (horses, dogs, livestock, etc.). My four favorite books are THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, by J.D. Salinger, THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING, by Milan Kundera, SHANTARAM, by Gregory David Roberts, and PARADISE LOST, by John Milton. My four favorite poets are e.e. cummings, William Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Brooke Willis (B.A., UNC-Greensboro) This is my fourth year teaching Theatre Arts, IB Theory of Knowledge, and African American History. My approach to teaching writing is organic. I want my students to get their ideas and thoughts on paper to encourage the fundamentals of written expression. Students will then harness this creativity and place it within the particular framework and purpose for their writing.
Barry Yeoman (B.A., New York University) I am a freelance magazine journalist whose work appears in O, The Oprah Magazine; On Earth; Audubon; AARP The Magazine; and many other publications. I am the winner of the National Magazine Award, Batten Medal, and numerous other national prizes. I am a veteran instructor at DYWC and focus on experiential writing for older teenagers. My classes are highly interactive and often involve physical activities. They require significant engagement from every student, including stretching their writing styles and reading aloud in class. I am a particular fan on long form narrative non-fiction. Favorite recent books have included NOW THE HELL WILL START (Brendan Koerner); THERE IS NO ME WITHOUT YOU (Melissa Fay Greene); DOG YEARS (Mark Doty); and IF I AM MISSING OR DEAD (Janine Latus).