Write across America

The virtual writing marathon

Authors

  • Kel Sassi Red River Valley Writing Project and Northern Michigan University Author
  • Richard Louth Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project and Southeastern Louisiana University Author
  • Susan Martens Prairie Lands Writing Project and Missouri Western State University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.24351

Keywords:

writing marathon, community, online, expressive writing

Abstract

Three U.S. writing project teachers from Louisiana, Missouri, and North Dakota reflect on their experiences with the National Writing Project’s writing marathon and discuss their collaboration to design, implement, and study a virtual writing marathon during the coronavirus pandemic. Interspersed with teachers’ writing from the marathon, the piece explains the features of the design and ends with four primary conclusions: 1) Writing should be at the center of our pedagogy, 2) A writing marathon can and should be adapted for online spaces, 3) Virtual writing marathons have lasting value, and 4) The success of the Virtual Writing Marathon rests on National Writing Project infrastructure and culture.

Author Biographies

  • Kel Sassi, Red River Valley Writing Project and Northern Michigan University

    Kel Sassi is the former Director of the Red River Valley Writing Project in North Dakota and current assistant professor at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, on the south shore of Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake (by surface area) in the world. Dr. Sassi teaches English education courses and studies writing assessment, teacher preparation, and approaches to Indigenous literatures.

  • Richard Louth, Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project and Southeastern Louisiana University

    Richard Louth recently retired from 45 years of teaching at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was a Professor of English and founding Director of the Southeastern Louisiana Writing Project. He founded the ‘New Orleans Writing Marathon’ (NOWM), which became the model for NWP writing marathons, and continues to lead NOWMs of 1–5 days duration.

  • Susan Martens, Prairie Lands Writing Project and Missouri Western State University

    Susan Martens is Director of the Prairie Lands Writing Project and associate professor of English at Missouri Western State University in Saint Joseph, Missouri. She has been researching writing marathons since 2006 when she went on her first one as a high school English teacher at a National Writing Project retreat. She continues to lead and study them in K-12, college composition, creative writing, English education, and professional development contexts as well as at youth writing and literary festivals.

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Published

2023-08-16

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1-2 (2023)

Section

Caring for a Network of Teacher-Writers in a Time of Covid: Part 1

License

© Equinox Publishing Ltd.

For information regarding our Open Access policy, click here.

How to Cite

Sassi, K., Louth, R., & Martens, S. (2023). Write across America: The virtual writing marathon. Writing and Pedagogy, 15(1-2), 51-71. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.24351