RJ Hembree
In 1995, I created my first Web page as an English major at Old Dominion University. At the time, I was managing editor for The Mace and Crown, and one of our journalists mentioned this thing called the Web. I had taken philosophy courses online at NOVA, so I was familiar with Gopher and newsgroups, but the WWW and HTML were new to me. Writers’ Village University grew from this awkward, first website. The initial goal was to connect with others interested in postmodern literature, including authors like Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges, John Barth, Salman Rushdie, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I discovered like-minded writers, so I started sharing what I was learning about writing. This marked the beginning of the Web’s first online community and school for writers. By the time I entered ODU's MFA program in 1997, WVU had expanded from 7 members to over 1,000.
Over the years, my focus changed from writing fiction to writing about writing. I’m a relentless researcher on the subject, and always on the lookout for fresh connections and ideas. When one has studied the craft long enough, the redundancy of popular writing texts and creative writing courses becomes clear. There’s so much more to discover about writing and what makes it work (or not work).
Since 1995, I have developed numerous courses that explore both traditional and creative methods of writing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. My greatest joys are research and discovery, and even more so, watching our members grow into accomplished writers. Many have published work, received awards, and are now writing professionally. Our membership includes a wide range of experience levels.
I’m a former staff writer and photographer for Lake Powell Chronicle and Gateway to Canyon Country magazine. After a brief retirement, I returned as a freelancer, writing weekly for the Lake Powell Chronicle and Arizona Silver Belt. My work has also appeared in the Navajo Times, the San Carlos Apache Moccasin, and Copper Country News. I’m now on my third retirement, or maybe I should call it semiretirement.
