Oregon School of Journalism and Communication graduate students are looking forward to winter and spring term writing workshops designed to provide them a chance to delve into an extensive piece of writing. The "Writing About ..." workshops will be taught by visiting authors Karen Karbo and Peter Matthiessen.

Geared toward creative nonfiction masters students, the workshops are open by application to students outside of this emphasis, according to the Creative Nonfiction Program Director Lauren Kessler.

The authors will work with eight to 10 students for three intensive days on a specific topic. Karbo will teach a workshop titled "Writing About Relationships" while Matthiessen will instruct one called "Writing About the Moment."

After the three-day seminar, students will work individually for the remainder of the quarter on a major piece of writing, which they will then submit to the author for feedback.

Based in Portland, Karbo is the author of three books including Trespassers Welcome Here (fiction), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She travels and writes extensively for magazines and is a regular contributor to Conde Nast's WomenSport.

Her latest book, Exes (nonfiction), about ex-husbands, wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, and the changing nature of family and relationships is due to be published soon.

Peter Matthiessen is a legendary naturalist, explorer as well as author. Internationally recognized, Matthiessen is the cofounder of The Paris Review.

His accounts of wildlife and human lives in Peru, Nepal, New Guinea and the Americas during the past 40 years have earned him three National Book Award nominations, a 1979 National Book Award for The Snow Leopard and his work a permanent place in the White House library.