Write It for the Young at Heart

Course details

What are the prevailing trends of and possibilities for books written for the young at heart? How do enduring stories get made? What do we do with the beguiling reality that not all teens think the same, talk the same, want the same? What can we learn about teen readers when we ask them what they read, and why?

"Write It for the Young at Heart," a ten-part video series, offers an insider's view.  With segments ranging from "Bad, Good, Excellent?" "From Truth to Fiction," and "Getting the Facts Right in Fiction" to "Building the Hearth of Your Story," "He Said/She Said," and "War Stories," the series names and defines key writing challenges, celebrates the work of authors who have gracefully met those challenges, and offers writing tips and cautions. The series goes far beyond a traditional "how to" series by placing issues within historical, literary, and personal context.

With a dozen acclaimed young adult books to her name, Beth Kephart's books have received multiple stars and best-of-year citations, been selected by the Junior Library Guild and Scholastic Book clubs, and been translated into multiple foreign languages. Kephart is a frequent review contributor to the Chicago Tribune, has presented keynote addresses on behalf of Bank Street, Publishing Perspectives, and elsewhere, has appeared on numerous national and local panels, and has traveled the country to visit high schools, middle schools, and libraries. She chaired the 2001 Young People's Literature Jury for the National Book Awards, where she first developed her criteria of excellence. She is a teacher of creative nonfiction at the University of Pennsylvania, where she won the Beltran Family Award for Innovative Teaching and Mentoring. She is the author of a dozen other award-winning books for adults and a monthly contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Finally, she is a partner in Juncture Workshops.