The University of Iowa

Linda Bendorf

Linda M. Bendorf (M.A.T., J.D., The University of Iowa) is an award-winning instructor and writing coach who has inspired both novice and seasoned writers in the Iowa Summer Writing Festival for more than two decades. Linda’s recent essay, “Quest for the Rufous-Capped Warbler,” will appear in a forthcoming issue of Bird Watcher’s Digest. The essay reveals how intuition and hard work help us to find the magic…in birding and writing! Linda is director of Blue Sage Writing, which offers workshops, one-on-one coaching, manuscript editing, and private writing retreats in Boulder, Colorado. Linda’s essays, features, and poetry have also appeared in the Chicago Tribune Media Group’s Triblocal, The University of Iowa’s The Daily Palette, USA Today, Gannett News Service Wire, Des Moines Register, Instructor, The Iowan, and Gather Magazine. Linda and her husband, Carl, live on Colorado’s Front Range where they hike, bird, bike and marvel at the ever-changing sunsets over the Rockies.

Instructor Events

Writing the Body

Weeklong June 14 to June 19 2020
Instructor(s): 
Linda Bendorf

Our bodies carry the most intimate narratives of our lives. Surgery, elective or otherwise. Transitions. Pregnancy. Aging. Self-Image. Disability. Tattoos. Disease. Disfigurement. Accidents. Oddities, visible or concealed. Some stories are complex and searingly painful; others humorous or tender. We will draw on the invigorating process of writing, the organic flow of storytelling, and the power and energy of words.

Submit! To the Creative Process…and The Sun Magazine

Weeklong June 21 to June 26 2020
Instructor(s): 
Linda Bendorf

Experience the thrill of creative effort! Do you long to jumpstart—or bolster—your writing practice in a way that stokes the writing muse? Need submission guidance? This workshop checks those boxes. The Sun, a highly regarded “always authentic, always personal, always relevant” magazine, invites readers to submit sincere nonfiction pieces each month to their “Readers Write” section comprised of true stories. Plan to write, and be prepared to submit, three compelling pieces—one for each of The Sun’s upcoming topics.

 

Memoir Breakthrough: Putting It All Together

Weekend June 27 to June 28 2020
Instructor(s): 
Linda Bendorf

Overwhelmed at the thought of beginning your memoir? Wondering how to make it meaningful yet manageable? Whether your memoir is just a fleeting idea, one page of notes, or an actual rough draft, join us for an engaging, interactive weekend dedicated to answering your questions, clearing hurdles, and offering inspiration and direction. This fast-paced workshop incorporates presentation, Q&A, discussion, exemplary memoir excerpts and selected writing prompts. Open to all levels.