Steve Sohmer

Instructor Biography:

Ph.D., M.A., writer whose collection, The Way It Was, was chosen by The New York Times as one of the 20 best fiction books of the year. Mr. Sohmer’s novels are Favorite Son and Patriots, and his short fiction has been published in The Southern Review and Modern Occasions. His screenwriting credits include Mancuso FBI, Twice in a Lifetime, Bloodknot, and Tom Clancy’s Op Center, among others.

Instructor Statement: The best workshop, I think, is a safe, supportive environment in which writers join together to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their own works and their fellows’. The instructor (also a student of the form) functions something like a game show host, offering encouragement and asking the right questions to help each writer find their own unique voice and their tranche of personal experience most worth exploring.

Our Students Say it Best!

“Steve has mastery over the business of running a short story workshop. He keeps the discussion moving, but allows students to engage. He made complicated ideas easy to understand. My fellow classmates, prompted by his direction, provided insightful feedback.” — Writers’ Program Student

To watch a video of Steve reading from his work at the 2011 Writers’ Program Publication Party, click here.