“Organic Architecture in Storytelling” Geoff Herbach – Author

Geoff will discuss Frank Lloyd Wright's notion of organic architecture and apply the ideas to the construction of stories. The key is, perhaps, to know ourselves well as artists, know the genre expectations our readers bring with them, and to be intentional about the kinds of structures we build our stories around. We, too, can use structure to surprise, comfort, discomfort, and release our readers so that our stories have maximal impact. 

Geoff Herbach is the author of eight YA novels, a picture book, and a literary novel. He’s received the Cybils Award for best YA Fiction, the Minnesota Book Award, and the Burr/Worzalla Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement from the Wisconsin Library Association. His books have been selected by the Junior Library Guild, and listed among the year’s best by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association, the International Literacy Association, Bank Street, and by many state library associations. They’ve also been selected as state-wide one-reads, as top audiobooks, and as a Global Read Aloud choice. In the past, he produced radio comedy shows and toured rock clubs telling weird stories. Presently, Geoff co-directs the Creative Writing Programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato and teaches in the low-residency Master of Fine Arts program at Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Geoff grew up in Platteville and often sets stories in Southwestern Wisconsin.