Author Archives: Christopher

Reminder: My Free Zoom Creative Nonfiction Class Tomorrow!

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This is just a reminder that I’m teaching a free online creative writing class tomorrow, Wednesday July 1, from 10-12 Eastern Time. It’s a creative nonfiction class on Hermit Crab essays, a kind of lyric essay. They’re fun! No need to register or anything, just use the Zoom link below and join us! It’s part of this week’s virtual 11th year of Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, and it’s hosted by the Oak Bluff’s Public Library on Martha’s Vineyard. I can’t take you all out for a cup of chowder afterwards, but we should have a lovely digital time together! 🙂
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Weds July 1: 10am-12: Christopher Citro: Zoom Lyric Essay Writing Workshop:
The Hermit Crab Essay
In this class we’ll explore the hermit crab essay, a hybrid form of the lyric essay which uses the shell of an existing form of writing, such as a recipe or questionnaire, in which to write our own personal essay. We’ll gain an acquaintance with this popular new form of the personal essay, then use prompts to inspire us in our own writing journey. Previous writing experience welcomed but not required. Free and open to all writers.

https://oakbluffs.zoom.us/j/98698055535?pwd=K2NSaU1NYlBqWUtqajg4VnZhNktKdz09

I’m teaching 2 online creative writing classes this summer!

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I’m teaching two 6-week creative writing workshops (poetry & creative nonfiction) this summer via The Downtown Writers Center in Syracuse. Anyone anywhere can sign up to take them cuz online! Yay! Registration is inexpensive and open to the public — you don’t need to be a Y member! To learn more about The Downtown Writer’s Center, download the summer class schedule with all its awesome class offerings, and register for these workshops, visit the Center’s website HERE. Feel free to share with anyone who might be interested!
P.S. classes cap at 10 students, so if you are interested, register early! 

I’m teaching & reading online next week – for free!

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This is happening online next week! All free! 🙂 Workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Readings in the evenings! I’m teaching a generative workshop on Hermit Crab Lyric Essays on Wednesday morning, July 1, and I’m giving a reading on Friday July 3 at 7 pm. It’s all free and organized through the Oak Bluffs Public Library on Martha’s Vineyard. Tune in and join us!

https://www.facebook.com/events/272428864097682/

My lyric essay “What You’re Thinking Now Is a Chunk of Marble” Accepted at Southeast Review!

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Oh my goodness! My lyric essay “What You’re Thinking Now Is a Chunk of Marble” has just been accepted at Southeast Review! It’s the second in my series of lyric essays inspired by the 4 fundamental forces of physics–this one being the gravity essay. Now I need to get on the stick and finish the remaining 2 on the strong and weak nuclear reactions… Thank you Dyan Neary and the rest of the CNF staff!

3 Poems in the New Sou’wester!

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What a joy to hold my contributor copy of Sou’wester, which contains my poems “Until the World Cracks in Half,” “Last Bites Mostly Your Own Saliva,” and “Say that Again.” Thank you Poetry Editor Joshua Kryah and the rest of the Sou’wester crew!

Thank you Blurbers!!!

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Thank you Ross Gay! Thank you Lee Upton! Thank you Diane Seuss! Thank you Dean Young! When poets — some I’ve never even met — whose work I’ve loved so much take time out to write a blurb for my second book, out of the generosity of their hearts… Wow. That’s something I’m so dang thankful for in these uncertain, anxiety-swamped days. Thank you Ross Gay! Thank you Lee Upton! Thank you Diane Seuss! Thank you Dean Young! Thank you!

Write your lyric essay!

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The Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing, where I’ve taught seven of the last ten years, has begun sharing writing exercises as part of their new online content. The Institute won’t be happening in person this summer, for obvious reasons, but anyone can now enjoy free weekly writing prompts from the faculty. Today they’ve posted an exercise I created.

It’s a prompt to guide you in writing a lyric essay, specifically one of the fragmented/collage type lyric essays which I love so much. Happy writing!

To get the writing exercise, click HERE!

Sarah E. Ruhlen’s “Shepherds Take Warning” in Waccamaw

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My partner Sarah’s awesome short story “Shepherds Take Warning” has just been published online today in the new issue of Waccamaw: A Journal of Contemporary Literature! It’s one of my very favorite stories she’s written. It’s got skywriting, tornadoes, circuses, impending danger, laundry irons, tent revivals, and more! Congratulations darlin’!

Read the story HERE.

Reading the opening of a lyric essay on WRVO’s The Campbell Conversations!

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It was awesome to be asked to read my creative nonfiction for yesterday’s episode of The Campbell Conversations on WRVO, celebrating the work of writers associated with The Downtown Writers Center in Syracuse. Sitting at home in a bedroom closet last week — with my phone balanced on my knee — I read the first 6 minutes of my lyric essay, “Go Away and Stay Right Here,” originally published in the Colorado Review. My reading leads off the episode which also features luminous performances by Jessica Cuello, Georgia Popoff, and Arthur Flowers.

Give a listen HERE!