"The Writing Assignment That Changes Lives"

A researcher in Canada is discovering that certain writing prompts not only help students with edifying self-reflection and goal-setting, but also nearly erase the gender and ethnic minority achievement gap in those studied.

Jordan Peterson, a professor at the University of Toronto, wanted to explore the relationship between writing and students' motivation. He created an undergraduate course in which "students complete a set of writing exercises that combine expressive writing with goal-setting." The course has already shown to reduce the drop-out rate of at-risk students and even increase academic achievement.

One educator theorizes that Peterson's course could be seeing results by limiting self-defeating behavior. "If you aren't sure you belong in college, and you don't hand in that paper," Melinda Karp explains, "you can say to yourself, 'That's because I didn't do the work, not because I don't belong here.' " Peterson's writing exercises might curb these thoughts by helping students to focus on their goals and motivations.

To learn more about Peterson's research and process, click here to read NPR's story, quoted above.

Summer Writing Boot Camp - Loop Campus Only!

Click on the image below for more information about SNL's Writing Boot Camp on Saturday, August 1st, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Loop. Email snlevents@depaul.edu to register or just show up and get your assignments completed! 

Try these 10 writing challenges

* A photo of yourself and describe how your day was

* Text your friend an emoji story

* Start an Author Blog

* Worst Habits

* Write five words to your 18 year old self

* Write about a shape that describes your personality.

* Select a random short story, copy down the last sentence and use it as your first sentence in your own story.

* Write about, “What your neighbors saw”

* Who would you chose a person who loves you, but you don’t love them? Or, the one you love, but they don’t love you?

* You wake up with a key in your hand, how did you get the key? What does it lock or unlock?

Printers Row Literary Fest 2015

The Printers Row Literary Fest is considered the largest FREE outdoor literary event in the Midwest.  This is a two day showcase from June 6-7, in the South Loop of Chicago. Over the years it has expanded from Dearborn Street to Polk Street. Printers Row Literary Fest was founded in 1985 by Near South Planning Board to attract  visitors of book lovers to the Printers Row Neighborhood.

Last year The Chicago Tribune celebrated the 30^th Anniversary of Printers Row Lit Fest. The festival included more than 400 authors,  book sellers from across the country, performers, and presenters and over 125,000 attendees who enjoyed author discussions, musical performances, book browsing and much more.

According to, printersrowlitfest.org here are a few featured writers this year, 2015:

"Ian Belknap is Founder and Overlord of WRITE CLUB. He is author of several Bring Me the Head of James Franco, That I May Prepare a Savory Goulash in the Narrow and Misshapen Pot of His Skull."

"Jabari Asim is the author of many works of fiction, nonfiction, essays, poetry, and drama. He is currently the executive editor of The Crisis, the official magazine of the NAACP. "

"Kevin Coval is the founder of Louder Than A Bomb and the Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors. He teachers at The University of Illinois-Chicago. This is Modern Art the play he co-authored- premiered at Steppenwolf Theater in the winter of 2015. His newest release "The Breakbeat Poets" comes out on April 4th."

"Nelson DeMille is a former U.S. Army lieutenant who served in Vietnam and is the author of eighteen acclaimed novels, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers "Night Fall", "Plum Island", "The Gate House", "The Lion", and "The Panther"."

Come support literacy and literary endeavor! For more additional information about this event, check out: printersrowlitfest.org