Salon

Ifind the idea of a formal education for future writers somewhat bizarre, but so many people want to write that the concept is an attractive business model. Previously, there was only one college in that niche -- the Literary Institute in downtown Moscow, a Soviet-style, cumbersome organization with few good writers among its alumni (although some were quite good). Most writers came from the ranks of physicians, architects, journalists and so on. Maybe the Institute gave the young people better knowledge of the literary environment, which is always a great advantage.

The new Learning Center of the Book Institute modernizes the image of such institutions. It offers several courses on creative writing, addressing the most pressing needs of beginning authors: how to write so that people would want to read it; how to create believable characters; how to turn an idea into a book; how to write science fiction or crime stories; how to write nonfiction.

The seminars are open to everyone at prices fixed at about $250 for five lessons and one master class, usually taught by a respected author. Scholarships are granted through a writing competition.

One of the burning issues, of course, is the ability of the teachers to give such courses. We have very few universally acknowledged writers; fewer still can handle this difficult format of interaction with their audience. As a result, interesting things happen: The class on creating realistic characters will be taught by Linor Goralik, famous for her grotesque and eccentric personages. No doubt the students will emerge from this experience enriched -- Goralik is a charismatic speaker -- but I'm not sure that the advertised goal will be attained.

The founders of the Learning Center are also targeting readers -- the most neglected group in the whole book and publishing business. Unlike in the West, reading groups and clubs have been virtually unknown in Russia, and the Learning Center may be leading the first attempts to create a beneficial environment for them. As their first (and very important) step, they set up two courses for the youngest readers; one of them is targeted at the parents of toddlers and teaches them how to introduce books into the lives of their children; the other is for the parents of slightly older but still preschool or elementary school children and is aimed at the shared pleasure of family reading, something that is often lost in our fast-paced life.

All in all, the new outfit seems to be an interesting place to study at, and its ultimate goals are noble. It remains to be seen how successful it will be.