A weekend with Erma
For the first time in four years, the 2022 Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop brought together a strong community of writers once again on the University of Dayton campus. UD's own Erma Bombeck — who graduated from Dayton in 1949 — is known as one of the great American humorists of the 20th century.
The workshop, attended by more than 600 people (in-person and virtual) aspiring and published writers alike, featured New York Times’ bestselling authors, Saturday Night Live legends, Emmy Award winners, Thurber Prize winners, a Moth GrandSLAM winner and a slew of celebrated comedians and authors.
In-person attendees traveled from 37 states, Canada and Spain and approximately 60% were first-timers, a new record. The virtual audience included attendees from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom and Israel. Workshop attendees ranges in age from 17 to 93.
"Erma Bombeck first heard the words, 'You can write!' from her University of Dayton English professor — and the echo of those magical words resounded throughout this workshop," said Teri Rizvi, founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop. "It was an extraordinary weekend filled with laughter, inspiration — and joy."
