An Interview with Luann Lewis
by Frank Richards
Brief bio: Luann is a Chicago native who has spent the last seventeen years writing legal documents and
correspondence, but is now in semi-retirement and pursuing her MFA at WVU. Dabbling in Fiction,
Flash and Poetry. She has had several pieces published
Performance.
What tips do you have for a newbie facilitator?
Relax and remember you’re always a student too. Everyone in the classes you facilitate has some new wisdom to offer you. Don’t expect to have all the answers or to do everything perfectly and don’t hesitate to share your vulnerabilities with the others in the class.
Have you taught or facilitated classes outside of WVU?
I did a great deal of training in the distant past but not in the field of writing. I come from a teaching family, however. I am one of the few who did not turn out to be an educator. It seems that most of us ultimately pursued education or law. I ended up in law where I do a great deal of (boring) writing.
What have been your favorite classes to facilitate?
Although I didn’t enjoy the stories, I enjoyed facilitating the Moons of Jupiter (Alice Munro) class. It was fairly sizable and it felt as if we were all going through it together. On the other extreme, I facilitated and took Middlemarch (George Eliot) with only one other person. That left us having a lot more fun. We even finished a little early.
How much time does it take to research and prepare for each class? And to give feedback? As a facilitator, what other kinds of things do you spend time on?
It really depends on the class. If the class was previously prepared and I’m just updating it, it doesn’t take long. I do check every link, however, to make sure it’s still
For the most part, I read and comment on every post in every class I facilitate, even if it’s just a brief comment. That’s the educational part for me. WVU attendees are bright and talented people who offer insight that broadens my knowledge base and perspective. If I have something to offer back, even if it’s just encouragement, I feel that’s a good exchange.
Please share what you’d like to on your special love of writing. Is there some aspect of writing which really intrigues you? What classes have you taken here?
That’s an interesting question and I actually went back to count. I keep a spreadsheet for my MFA credits and it appears I have taken 90 classes! That’s not counting several that I’ve taken twice. Some have been worth two or even three rounds. I’ve found my insight and appreciation deepen with each round. If you count those, I’d guess I’ve taken over 100 WVU classes.
I have loved writing since I was a child but have often been too busy with life to pursue it. I had several books published in the early 90s but they were adult fiction. Some life changes caused me to discontinue that genre of writing and disconnect from that publisher. It is certainly not as easy or as lucrative to have literary fiction published, but I have managed to have about a dozen pieces accepted - mostly flash fiction.
Thanks, Luann