Minnesota writer Will Weaver to speak at literacy conference at CSB

10/21/2008

A literacy conference that features Minnesota writer and keynote speaker Will Weaver is Nov. 14 at Gorecki Dining and Conference Center, College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph.

“Writing Central: A Day for Literacy at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University” is a state-wide event aimed at educators (grades K-12) to reach boys and to get them to read and write.

Weaver speaks at 9 a.m. on “Right Book, Right Kid, Right Time: Strategies for a 21^st Century Literacy.” Weaver, who lives in northern Minnesota, is a former teacher at Bemidji State University who writes award-winning fiction for adults and young adults.

His debut novel, Red Earth, White Earth, was published in 1986 by Simon and Schuster. Weaver followed that with A Gravestone Made of Wheat and Other Stories (Simon and Schuster, 1989). Each novel in his Billy Baggs series (Striking Out, Farm Team and Hard Ball; HarperCollins, 1993/95/98) was honored as a “Best Book for Young Adults” by the American Library Association (ALA). Weaver’s novel Memory Boy (2001) is used widely by schools across the United States, and was followed by Claws (2001), Full Service (2005), Defect (2007) and Saturday Night Dirt (2008). Defect received a 2008 Minnesota Book Award in the young adult literature category, and Full Service received starred reviews and was also listed as an ALA “Best Book for Young Adults.”

Breakout sessions follow Weaver’s presentation at 10:20 a.m., 11:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The afternoon breakout session includes three presentations with CSB and SJU connections:

            • Lynn Moore, professor of education at CSB and SJU, and CSB seniors Rebekah Mullin and Clare Barrowman Casey present “Sources of Inspiration” at Gorecki Room 204B;

            • Mike Borka, assistant professor of education at CSB and SJU, and CSB graduates Lindsey Anderson (2006) and Katie Krause (2005) present “Mentor Texts” at Gorecki Room 204C. Anderson teaches at the Orono, Minn., Intermediate School, while Krause teaches at Century Middle School, Lakeville, Minn.

            • Larry Schug, an award-winning poet and recycling coordinator at CSB, will read his poems and share his stories that inspire his poems during his presentation, “A Life in Poetry,” at Gorecki Room 120.

The event is sponsored by the education department at CSB and SJU.

Cost is $65, which includes a continental breakfast, coffee break and lunch. The registration deadline is Nov. 7. Interested persons can call 320-363-5709 to receive a registration form, or go to www.csbsju.edu/education/pdfs/flyer3.pdf for a copy of the form.