(Hi)Story
If
children think history is boring, they haven't encountered
the energy and enthusiasm Margaret Macpherson brings
to writing and researching the past.
|
History
is simply a collection of stories and Macpherson
invites kids to embrace those stories and create
their own. Based on social studies curriculum, Margaret
takes the cumulative information the children already
know and helps them spin a story anchored in the
history of the times. If studies are on Canada's
fur trade, for example, a tale is composed that
helps the children incorporate their knowledge of
the fur traders, the Aboriginal peoples, the early
settlers and the government of the day into a narrative
with both a strong plot and imaginative characters.
|
|
"When
Margaret teaches, she has the uncanny
ability to zero in on a writer's fuzzy
intentions; getting to the essence. She
continues to encourage and clarify the
thoughts of those of us in her sphere."
Joyce Harries, author of Girdles and
Other Harnesses I Have Known
|
|
| Collective
writing and brainstorming gives children ownership
of the work and allows those with stronger literary
skills to scribe ideas from classmates who are more
intimidated by the writing process. In the early
part of the residency, the classroom focuses on
plot and character, elements of tension in the story
and resolutions from that tension. After a consensus
is reached within the classroom the children begin
writing history to life in distinctive, pre-determined
scenes. Classes are able to bring the their knowledge
of social studies to the story. The interspersion
of fact and fiction allows the children to visualize
and write realistic stories that could have happened
in times past. |
|
"When
I first began to write I took a creative
writing course from Margaret Macpherson.
I found her to be informative as well
as supportive. Her enthusiasm for writing
was contagious. Margaret continues to
inspire me as a writer, a mentor and a
friend."
Diana Buchanan,
author of Ask Her Anything
|
|
Reality checks are constantly done to ensure the
history base project doesn't veer into the realm
of the impossible or the fanciful. Research strengthens
the second draft of the story and makes it more
credible. While creativity is encouraged, Macpherson
gently encourages children to stay within the
boundaries of the possible in order to understand
our shared past.
|
Personal
(Hi) Stories
For adults or senior high school writers Macpherson
facilitates the creation of personal essays and
the writing of personal stories. She illustrates
the procedure by reading and discussing work from
her recently published collection Perilous
Departures, a book that documents in fictional
language, the perils of growing up and separation
both emotionally and physically from home.
Symbols play a large role in this workshop setting,
and students learn to first identify and then use
and write about a physical or material item to represent
an emotional reality or personality trait.
|
|
"A
dynamic, compelling speaker. Her love
of and enthusiasm for books and learning
is evident from her presentations and
is infectious for her audience. She had
even the coolest, most nonchalant teenager
eating out of her hands."
Mary-Ann
Thurber
Communications
Coordinator
Peace Library System
|
|
|
With
her background in both creative writing and psychology,
Margaret is able to help students and young adults
construct narratives that use symbols to explain
and illuminate their own emotional truths.
This
workshop is potentially transformative as it helps
young people identify their own voice though symbolic
writing without revealing too much about themselves
to their peers. This workshop is recommended for
Grade 9 and up.
|
|
|
>>Sample
Literary Arts Project: Making
the Dead Speak - a creative non fiction project
 As
part of the Alberta
Foundation for the Arts initiative,Margaret
currently offers week-long residency or full/half
dayreading workshops to elementary, junior, and
high school students across Alberta. |
Margaret is happy to speak
at local bookclubs.
Why not invite an author to your reading group
and ask some really hard questions?
No guarantee Margaret will have any answer, but
stimulating discussions are a promise.
E-mail
Margaret for more information
|
|
