Classes and Appearances

• August 19 - September 16, 2008 (Five Tuesdays)
  Food Writing for Food Lovers
  7 - 9:30 p.m.
  The Writing Salon
  2121 Bonar St., Studio D, 2nd floor
  Berkeley, CA
  $185 members/ $215 non-members
  If you've thought about food writing but are not sure where to start, this is the class
  for you. We'll cover freelance writing for newspapers and magazines, recipe writing,
  cookbooks, and blogs, so you get a little taste of everything.
  
  
  
• October 14 - November 18, 2008
  Online Food Writing Class
  UCLA Extension
  $360
  
  This six-week online class lets you communicate with me directly during our time together. Because the class is offered through the UCLA journalism department, it will be geared to writing for newspapers, magazines and the Internet. Each week we'll focus on sharpening your skills in a particular area: food blogging, coming up with culinary story ideas, researching and writing a story, restaurant reviewing, recipe writing, and writing for publication. You'll read a lecture, follow links, discuss subjects with other classmates on discussion boards, and produce short articles and reviews as homework.
  
  The class is limited to 20 students. Enrolment has already begun. All you need is a deep interest in food and food writing, and desire for personal development or growth. Some of those who enroll will be UCLA students looking for an elective to satisfy the Journalism Certificate program. You do not need to take the class for a grade but are welcome to do so.
  
  Please join me as I make my first foray into online teaching. Email me at dj@diannej.com if you have any questions.

Interviews

• Read my Q&A with Paris-based food writer David Lebovitz on davidlebovitz.com
  
  
• Listen to my interview on food writing with talk show hosts Alana Morales and Paula Schmitt on Mom Writers Talk Radio.
  
  

"I took a class on food writing from Dianne and found her to be an inspiring and down-to-earth teacher. She made me believe that a career in food writing was more than a dream, that it could be a reality, as long as I broke it down into small steps. Her segment on writing a book proposal was especially enlightening to me. Despite having worked in journalism and public relations in the past, I would not have known how to "get it right" without her class. I know from after class discussions with other participants that it was especially helpful to them as well. Her class was a life-defining experience for me. I plan on taking future seminars from her and would not hesitate to recommend others interested in food writing do the same." -Faith Kramer, Oakland, CA "As far the Smithsonian class is concerned, it was one of the best, if not the best class I've ever taken on creative writing. Your in-class exercises were inspirational and idea generating. I especially loved your analysis of metaphors and memory in food writing which made the whole process come alive with possibilities. I read your handouts which were perfect examples of original and diverse writing and made me look at writing in a new way. I was also very entertained by your guest speakers and found your questions to be exactly the kinds of things I would have liked to have asked myself. As I said, I'd take the class again tomorrow if I could. If you give it again, please reserve a place for me! I'm half way through your book and feel both prepared and inspired to write but daunted by the hard work it takes. Thanks again for teaching me something.” -Angela Schaffner, Washington, DC