Beth DeSchryver Presents - My War with the Ospreys: The Funny Side of Steinbeck (July 23, 2026)

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Elizabeth DeSchryver will lead a discussion of John Steinbeck's essay My War with the Ospreys, originally published in 1957.

“My war with the ospreys, like most wars, was largely accidental and had a tendency to spread in unforeseen directions…. Spring may open new hostilities, although I can find in my heart to wish for peace and even friendship, I hope the ospreys, wherever they may be, will read this.”

Thus begins John Steinbeck’s My War with the Ospreys, a piece of writing that is hard to classify. Is it an essay? Creative non-fiction? Autobiographical short story? Whatever we call it, it’s a great study of narrative voice, of how to selectively use real-life details, and of what can happen to even the best of writers when they are desperate for an excuse not to write.

Hosted by: Anne Beall

DOWNLOAD DISCUSSION MATERIALS HERE:

My War with the Ospreys
John Steinbeck's Advice for the Writer
John Steinbeck Chronology
Steinbeck Discussion Topics

BIO: Elizabeth DeSchryver (Beth) is an award-winning short story author, playwright and poet. Her short plays have been performed throughout the Midwest. Her first full-length play, An Unbuilt Life, had its world premiere at the Washington Stage Guild in April 2024, where it received a Helen Hayes Award Recommendation. Her short stories have been included in three of the OCWW anthologies. A long-time supporter of OCWW, Beth is a member of the Chicago Dramatists Network Playwrights, the Dramatists Guild, and a founding member of the Telling Humans Playwright Studio.

Anne Beall Presents Nobody Knows: Rebecca Solnit (August 27, 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Anne E. Beall, Ph.D., will lead a discussion of Rebecca Solnit's essay Nobody Knows, published in Harper's Magazine in March 2018.

Nobody Knows, by Rebecca Solnit is an essay that begins with a personal experience and then expands into a cultural lens to explore the relationship between power and knowledge. She shows how power shapes what we see and whose voices we hear. Through personal experience and notable examples from the media, the essay reveals how some are heard while others are silenced. We will discuss several craft techniques Solnit uses and how you can apply them to your own writing.

Hosted by: Paula Mikrut

DOWNLOAD DISCUSSION MATERIALS HERE:

Nobody Knows
Discussion Questions for Nobody Knows

BIO: Anne E. Beall, Ph.D. is an award-winning author and social psychologist who writes about the emotional undercurrents that shape our lives. She’s written nine nonfiction books. Her most recent book, The Compassionate Writer, was awarded the International Impact Book Award in the self-help category. Anne is the founder and editor of Chicago Story Press, a literary journal publishing true stories that invite readers to see something in a new light. She holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Yale.

Off Campus Writers Workshop upcoming events

Beth DeSchryver Presents - My War with the Ospreys: The Funny Side of Steinbeck (July 23, 2026)

Anne Beall Presents Nobody Knows: Rebecca Solnit (August 27, 2026)