Creative Writing Workshop

Calder Classics is excited to offer a Creative Writing Workshop in Thessaloniki in the summer of 2017 that draws inspiration from the Greek myths and the centuries of literature they have inspired. 

The Greek myths enact the enduring passions and problems of human nature:  love, friendship, jealousy, war, and transformation.  We explore various myths – from those well known such as Cupid and Psyche, Hercules, and Narcissus, to those lesser known such as Andromeda, Hermaphrodites and Galatea.  Our exploration begins with Edith Hamilton’s classic collection, Mythology; Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, then moves on to more contemporary writings inspired by those myths: short stories by Margaret Atwood, Jeanette Winterson and Anthony Doer, poems by Robert Browning, WB Yeats, Denise Levertov and Mark Strand, personal essays by Lawrence Durrell, Henry Miller and Paul Theroux.  Students are able to choose among various forms: short stories, poetry, film treatments and  personal essays, to create their own myth-inspired projects.  By the end of the session, students have a polished piece of writing to commemorate their Greek odyssey. 

Over the course of a three-week program, the Classics come alive in a beautiful Greek setting near the Aegean Sea and the base of Mount Olympus.  Situated on the campus of the stunning 375-acre American Farm School, a non-profit educational institute in Thessaloniki, and immersed in an atmosphere shaped by classical history, students spend their days reading ancient and modern myths in translation, drafting and workshopping their writing.  Joining together with the students who are concurrently enrolled in our Ancient Greek language and our Exploration of Ancient Greek Mythology courses, we discover Thessaloniki, visit local archeological sites, Aristotle's tomb, Mt. Olympus, the Greek island of Samothrace, and other nearby places of interest. The evenings feature Greece’s many cultural, leisure and culinary offerings.

Workshop

Mornings are spent reading and discussing texts, and writing. Formal techniques such as structure, voice, point of view, and literary devices are analyzed and practiced.   Students are given prompts from both ancient and modern myths to inspire their own writing.  During the afternoons, peers and teachers critique students’ work in a constructive and supportive community setting.  As students settle on a final project, they have one-on-one editorial meetings with their teachers. 

Dive into Greece's Culture and History

Throughout the course, we explore historic treasures of northern Greece, including the Thessaloniki National Archaeological Museum, Byzantine monuments, Ottoman ruins and the Royal Tombs at Vergina. Students take in the visual delights of Thessaloniki with their newfound Greek learning, which is guaranteed to enhance their experience and deepen their appreciation of the beautiful ancient history of this wondrous city. Our hosts at the American Farm School organize for us olive oil tastings, Greek cooking, folk dancing on campus, a guided hike on Mount Olympus, and a multi-day trip to the spectacular island of Samothrace.

Calder Classics Students Have Joined Us From…

Andover, Berkshire School, Brearley, Chapin, Charlotte Country Day School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Clark School, Collegiate, Columbia Prep, Dalton, The Dexter School, Dwight Englewood School, Exeter, Groton, The Harker School, High School of RenMin University of China, Hotchkiss, Lawrenceville, Liberty High School, Manhattan Friends, Marymount, Middlesex, Milton Academy, Packer, Princeton High School,  Riverdale, Sage Hill, Sage Ridge, Saint Ann's, Saint Ignatius College Prep, Spence, St. Joseph, Stuyvesant, Taft, Trinity, Veritas Preparatory Academy and Woodrow Wilson... Add your school to the list!

Staff

Accommodations

We stay at Perrotis College, located on the pastoral campus of the American Farm School, 15 minutes from the lively center of Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece. A state of the art, LEED-certified residence hall provides students of all ages with an oasis on campus where they can live and study together. Along with classrooms, a library and dormitories, the campus contains an educational farm comprised of gardens and greenhouses, a winery as well as poultry and dairy units that produce milk, eggs and turkeys renowned for their quality throughout Greece. The widely spread out terrain is ideal for cross-country runs and personal athletic training. Our rooms have terraces overlooking the educational vineyards with a magnificent view of Mount Olympus. There is local flora everywhere with gardens and fruit trees covering the surrounding area. The shared suites have a common living area, air conditioning, WIFI and laundry facilities.

Dates & Fees

July 30 to August 20, 2017

The $5,000 tuition includes accommodations, transportation within Greece, museum entries and instruction. (Students may have to purchase some of their own books.) Breakfast, lunch and dinner are also included. Many of our meals will be eaten at the Farm School, which promotes healthy, sustainable, economically viable, and socially responsible food and agriculture systems.

Students are responsible for the cost of their own activities outside of the group.

Airfare is not included.

The start date of this session is coordinated to permit students to attend earlier Calder Classics advanced Reading Latin courses in Florence and Rome.

Transportation

Students make their own travel arrangements. Those high school students who wish to travel with a chaperone between New York City and Thessaloniki should contact a Calder Classics representative during the application process.

Thessaloniki International Airport is 10 minutes away from the American Farm School campus.

Testimonials

" The Calder Classics ancient Greek summer program created the perfect balance of academic studies and cultural activities for our daughter this summer. Highlights included: visiting markets in Thessaloniki, climbing Mount Olympus, visiting ancient ruins, cooking traditional Greek dishes and learning Greek dances. Sarah Grover and Collomia Charles are experts in their field and their passion for Ancient Greek studies has inspired our daughter to continue her Classical education in college. This is her second summer with Calder Classics and each program has fostered her passion to learn. Thank you Cindy for creating a program that teaches the students to look at the world a little differently."  parent, Florence and Thessaloniki student

"Before going to Thessaloniki I had taken one year of Greek, so for me the purpose of this trip was really to reinforce the existing foundations in grammar. But unexpectedly, with all due credit to our professors, Calder Classics has given me so much more: it has given me the tools to be able to read Greek fluently. And I say "tools" instead of "ability" because no, nobody can immediately attain fluency in three weeks.  So thanks, Collomia and Sarah. You will both prove to be influential in my progress as a student and a classicist, and my words do no justice to the gratitude welling from the bottom of my heart. I love this program, and will definitely come back someday!"   Andre C., student

"It was with slight trepidation that I embarked on my study of Ancient Greek, for unlike my fellow students, I've never studied any ancient language before, not even Latin, but it didn't take long for me to realize that my fears were misplaced. Within the warm embrace of the JV team, I started from my alpha beta gammas and slowly moved up to face the many faces of the complex beast, also known as GRAMMAR. It was surprising to see how much progress we had made, from the illiterate 'this is all Greek to me' phase to the 'this is still Greek but I can translate everything I know about it' phase. ..One thing I really loved was how our activities and studies were scheduled intermittently  so that every day we had something to look forward to. Whether it was a shopping trip near Aristotelous Square (with grumpy Aris sulking in his chair), a class on Greek cooking, a visit to an archaeological museum or even just an afternoon hanging out by the seaside, listening to the waves lapping and feeling the sea breeze against your cheek, everything was new and exciting and quite marvelous." Morgan Y., student

Photo Gallery from Previous Trips to Greece (Click to Scroll)

Reservation Form

Once you submit this Reservation Form, you will receive an email with a link to our full Application Form. After we receive a completed Application Form, a Calder Classics representative may be in touch with the applicant if further information is required to determine whether the program is suitable for the student’s level and experience. Students will be notified about their acceptance status upon assessment of the Application Form and the receipt of a required teacher recommendation. Reserved spots may be held for 10 days prior to receipt of the completed Application Form.