“Receiving a Florida Book Award Gold Medal means a great deal to me,” said Van Cleave. “I live and teach here, so having this work recognized in my home state feels especially meaningful.”

The book walks kids through the many dreams they may have and the successes they can achieve, from paleontology and treasure-hunting to painting a mural or fighting for fairness and equality.

“I collaborated closely with Keyshawn Johnson and Bettina Bush from the earliest stages, well before the book deal was even in place,” said Van Cleave. “This was Keyshawn’s idea from the start, though. He wanted to create something that spoke directly to kids about self-belief and authorship over their own lives.”

At the back of the book, Johnson tells the story of his own early life in South Los Angeles, how he was told he wouldn’t be able to achieve his dreams, and how he chose instead to listen to his inner voice.

“Working with Keyshawn and Bettina was a true partnership—they’re dynamic people who bring a lot of creativity to everything they do,” said Van Cleave. “My role as the Picture Book Doctor is to help translate lived experience and big ideas into language that connects with young readers. We’re still partnering today and are currently developing additional children’s books and animated series together.

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Among the lineup of authors, editors, and industry experts were several familiar faces from ������Ƶ’s Creative Writing faculty and alumni community. Creative Writing faculty members Glenn Schudel, Sylvia Whitman, Esty Loveing-Downes, and Creative Writing Interim Department Head Dr. Ryan Van Cleave also contributed to panel discussions. 

Schudel presented Which Path Is Right for You? Big Publisher, Indie Press, or DIY? and co-led the interactive workshop First Pages That Stick: Hooking Readers from Line One, where participants read opening pages aloud and offered supportive, constructive feedback. He also joined the lively Pitch, Please! speed-pitching event for aspiring authors.

Whitman’s session, Voice, Vision & Vibe: Finding the Heart of Your Project, encouraged participants to reconnect with the emotional core of their work. She was also part of the Pitch, Please! speed-pitching.

The day also featured industry consultations through Ask an Editor/Agent, where writers could get real-time feedback on their pitches and publishing questions. Among the professionals fielding those questions was literary agent, Ringling alum, and adjunct faculty member Esty Loveing-Downes, who shared insider insights on navigating the industry.

Interim Department Head for Creative Writing Dr. Ryan Van Cleave also consulted at the Ask an Editor/Agent event. Additionally, he contributed to the Beyond the Book: Getting Paid to Write—Magazines, Freelance Markets, and More panel, helping participants learn to identify the right markets, craft effective pitches, and get their work published and paid for.

Attendance exceeded expectations, with more than 90 participants attending the morning panel alone. “It was out-the-door popular,” said Van Cleave.��

Film grad Patricia Pete, who now works within the Sarasota County Library system and is publishing her own books, also served as a panel moderator.

The Off the Page Literary Celebration continues throughout November, featuring author talks, workshops, and the keynote appearance of bestselling author Amy Tan (The Joy Luck Club, The Backyard Bird Chronicles). Learn more and see the full schedule for on the Sarasota County Libraries website.

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“Any room I’m in, if Shakespeare comes up, the students all crane their necks around to see my expression,” said Creative Writing faculty Glenn Schudel. “I am that guy.”

Though his Creative Writing courses don’t focus on Shakespeare, Schudel likes to sprinkle his lessons—and his conversations—with insights, techniques, and even trivia from the Bard and from theater in general. He’s especially keen on classical rhetoric, citing examples of various rhetorical techniques used by Shakespeare’s characters.

Schudel’s theatrical roots go back to his childhood in Arcadia, when his family would come to Sarasota (“the big city,” as he thought of it then) to see performances. His first job after undergrad was as an assistant stage manager with Sarasota’s Asolo Repertory Theatre.

His ambitions took him to Chicago and New York before he finally decided to pursue a graduate degree at Mary Baldwin University, where he studied Shakespeare and performance. He dove into rhetorical studies and also took several classes on dramaturgy. For his M.Litt thesis, he went through Shakespeare’s plays character by character, examining the types of rhetoric they each used. It was 200 pages typed.

“I always liked Shakespeare. I was a nerd growing up,” said Schudel. “But this was a really wild experience for me, where I learned to love the works of Shakespeare more by taking them down off the pedestal. They’re all deeply weird and funny and horny and strange.” 

After grad school, Schudel worked for three years as the tour manager for the American Shakespeare Center, touring three shows and 19 educational workshops up and down the eastern half of the U.S. By the end, he was being asked to edit the plays as well, providing trimmed versions of the texts to be performed. 

Then he took an adjunct teaching gig at Randolph College. “That gave me the bug,” he remembered. “I realized I really like teaching at the college level.”

He began teaching at ������Ƶ in 2018 and joined the faculty in 2023. While he didn’t ever think he’d be teaching Creative Writing, he now recognizes how much of his theater background can be helpful to his students.

“This is not new advice for me, but a lot of writing teachers will tell you that you should read your writing out loud. You can hear the flow and rhythm and sounds,” he explained. And generating your own fictional characters is not unlike how actors figure out how to perform a part. 

“The stuff I learned in my acting classes in college, I was having my students do that kind of work in my writing classes,” he said. “So then, every class, I would pull out one acting exercise. It’s shocking how much writing and theater have in common.” 

And at ������Ƶ, he often sees his enthusiasm reflected back at him. “It’s been such a pleasure working here where all of the students are studying something that they love,” he said. “I’ve never taught a class here that was labor. It’s always fun. [The students] are so weird and smart and clever and artsy.��

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Taught by Liberal Arts faculty Kevin Cooley, Audio Storytelling and Podcasting combines creative writing, sound design, and podcasting—lessons he’s personally experienced while making his own fictional podcast, The Backrooms: Silverfish.

“The class is an absolute blast to teach,” said Cooley, who offered this initial course to showcase audio drama as an accessible storytelling medium capable of reaching large audiences, while also fielding course feedback from the students themselves.

“I wanted to share what I’ve learned with Ringling students, and help them thrive in this strange, wonderful medium that somehow feels as digital and futuristic as it does antique and vintage.”

Part of the appeal, both for Cooley and his students, is the way audio drama empowers independent creators to make potentially lucrative and widely popular projects on a relatively low budget.

“There’s no guarantee of profit, of course,” said Cooley. “The bulk of audio dramas produced are independent ones, and you never know what is going to flop and what is going to bring in big ad revenue or a wave of Patreon support. But some audio drama creators are certainly making it happen—especially with the help of distributor networks like Bloody FM, Fable & Folly, and Rusty Quill. And with their varied skills in media editing, image creation, and storytelling, Ringling students are in a particularly good position to make and market audio drama.”

Many students were struck by the sheer volume and variety of fictional podcasts currently being produced. “I learned about a lot of different creators and broadened my understanding of the audio drama field,” said Mikayla Query ’27, Computer Animation. “What surprised me was how varied these creations were and how heartfelt they each were in their different ways. One day you’re in space and the next you’re in Ireland!”

Sarah Lewis ’27, Computer Animation, said she had a longstanding interest in podcasts, but she “almost always thought of the medium as a series of hidden gems rather than an active industry.”

And after actively creating their own audio drama podcasts in the Creative Writing class, the students were enlightened and energized by the experience. “It’s a little funny. There’s not a lot to be surprised with,” said Olly Giangrandi ’25, Illustration. “You talk about podcasts, work with audio, you voice act or have other people voice act, and you give each other feedback on scripts. Knowing this, however, is different from doing it.”

“As storytellers, we tend to talk a lot about a character’s ‘voice,’ how they think and feel, what defines them,” said Lewis. “There’s something unique about how literal this idea of ‘voice’ becomes while working in audio fiction that is especially intimate as a listener. Getting to hear my characters come to life was something I found exciting and powerful.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the students found lessons in audio drama that they could then apply to their own chosen media and specialties. “This class has affected how I write stories now,” said Giangrandi. “When you only work with audio, you have to learn to play with its strengths. I’m studying to be a graphic novelist, and despite it being a purely visual medium, sometimes thinking about what it’d sound like in a podcast brings new ideas. It’s easy to just say that this is a ‘Podcast class,’ but it’s also a class that challenges the students’ storytelling abilities in a unique way.”

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The certificate is a collaboration between the Illustration and Creative Writing majors but is open to students from every major. 

Creative Writing faculty member Rick Dakan, who was integral to establishing the certificate, said, “Our students have great imaginations and tremendous artistic talent. This new certificate will help aspiring comic book and picture book creators hone their storytelling craft while also learning what it takes to succeed as a published author/illustrator. I can’t wait to see what they create.”

Students will prepare to confidently pitch to publishers, explore self-publishing, and succeed in the competitive publishing and entertainment industries. To earn the certificate, students must complete a series of elective courses that round out the specialization. 

• The children’s book courses focus on crafting engaging books for young audiences, with an emphasis on market trends, storytelling, and industry standards.��
• The Comic and Graphic Novel courses center on sequential art and visual storytelling, teaching students to create impactful comics for mainstream or independent platforms.
• The Publishing Strategies course focuses on marketing and distribution strategies for the final book. Students will gain the insight needed to position their book for a successful launch.

Illustration department head Christina Hess, who was also responsible for bringing it to life, shared her enthusiasm for the certificate:

“Everyone has a story to tell! This certificate program provides the time and structure needed to write and illustrate that story, bringing it vividly to life. Through a guided, step-by-step approach, students will craft a compelling narrative and learn how to successfully launch it into the world after graduation—all while maintaining full ownership of their intellectual property.” 

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Saturday’s playtesting window will be open from 10 am-10 pm in the Roskamp Exhibition Hall, Ulla Searing Student Center, and will feature dozens of prototype games from up-and-coming game developers. Game designer Kenneth Hite (Trail of Cthulu) and artist/worldbuilder Peter Mohrbacher (Angelarium) will be on hand as the featured industry guests and will also lead the design workshops on Sunday.

To attend, ($5), which gives access to all three days of the conference, or fill out the form to and ($20), which provides access to a table on Saturday, Feb. 22, to run playtests. All proceeds go to the Diana Jones Award Foundation, a part of the Diana Jones Emerging Designers Fund, which supports up-and-coming designers with an emphasis on those from marginalized communities.

For full event info and to purchase tickets, go to the Anyone’s Game event homepage here.

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Led by the ������Ƶ Creative Writing Program, Storytellers of Tomorrow was created in 2015 to encourage and recognize young writers while drawing attention to the many opportunities for storytellers in today’s media landscape.

Current high school-age students are invited to submit English-language stories (short stories, scripts, comics, and other literary forms) under 2,000 words in the genre story, literary fiction, and nonfiction categories. An additional category will recognize micro-RPGs (Role-Playing Games) under 600 words. One entry per student, per category.

Entries are judged on their overall quality, taking into account evocative and engaging storytelling and well-edited writing.

First, second, third, and honorable mentions will be awarded in each category, with the first prize earning $500 and a one-on-one writing consultation with a literary agent or editor. (Second- and third-place winners will receive $250 and $100 prizes, respectively.) Two Judges’ Award winners will receive full-tuition commuter scholarships to ������Ƶ’s 2025 summer PreCollege program.

Visit the ������Ƶ website to learn more and to submit an entry.

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Interim Department Head for Creative Writing Ryan Van Cleave is part of the small team of organizers for the event. He and Creative Writing faculty Sylvia Whitman, Rick Dakan, and Glenn Schudel are conducting events. Two groups of Creative Writing majors are running teen writing workshops. ������Ƶ General Counsel Elena Paul is doing an even and Illustration faculty Gary Barker will also host an event. 

This year’s event promises to be bigger than ever, featuring bestselling authors, writing workshops, book signings, and special outreach events at all 10 county library branches. All events are free and open to the public.

Notable additions include international bestselling suspense novelist Lisa Unger, who will speak at 2 pm on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at the William H. Jervey, Jr. Venice Library, and John Fowler, author of A Forest in the Clouds, who will present at 3 pm on Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Gulf Gate Library.

“We are so excited to welcome Lisa Unger, the queen of psychological suspense, and John Fowler, who offers the only first-person account of what happened to Dian Fossey,” said Dr. Renée Di Pilato, Director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources. “This year’s program brings together incredible talent from a variety of literary genres, offering something for everyone.” 

2024 Off the Page Featured Authors: 

• Soman Chainani, Thursday, Nov. 7, 6 pm at Shannon Staub Library
• Bestselling author of The School for Good & Evil series, now a Netflix film. 
• Amor Towles, Friday, Nov. 8, 7 pm at Venice Performing Arts Center
• Bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility. 
• Chef Edward Lee, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6 pm at Shannon Staub Library
• Celebrity chef and James Beard Award-winning author of Buttermilk Graffiti. 
• Oliver James, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 3 pm at Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library and Wednesday, Nov. 13, 6 pm at Fruitville Library
• Social media influencer and motivational speaker. 
• Rebecca Renner, Thursday, Nov. 14, 6 pm at Selby Library
• National Geographic writer and author of Gator Country. 
• Curtis Sittenfeld, Saturday, Nov. 16, 3 pm at Selby Library
• Bestselling author of Prep, Eligible, and Romantic Comedy. 
• Lisa Unger, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2 pm at William H. Jervey, Jr. Venice Library
• New York Times bestselling suspense novelist of over 20 novels, including Last Girl Ghosted. 
• John Fowler, Thursday, Nov. 21, 3 pm at Gulf Gate Library
• Author of A Forest in the Clouds, a riveting memoir about his time spent working with Dian Fossey and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. 

Family Day Event:

Saturday, Nov. 2, 10 am-1 pm at Frances T. Bourne Jacaranda Library. Bestselling children’s author Jarod Rosello and award-winning illustrator David C. Gardner will host a fun-filled day with story time, crafts, food trucks, and more. 

The Off the Page celebration fosters connections within Sarasota’s literary and arts community by spotlighting a diverse range of authors and creative expressions. The event is made possible by the Friends of the Venice Library. 

“We proud to sponsor Off the Page again this year,” said Janet Knudsen, president of The Friends of the Venice Library. “It’s a pleasure to help Sarasota County readers hear their favorite authors right in their neighborhood libraries.” 

For updates and more information, visit or call 311 or 941-861-1110.

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Dakan will host a panel discussion Creating as a Human in the Age of AI, where he will speculate about creativity in the new AI era. Shannon Live, co-founder and president of Bat City Comic Professionals, will give a TEDx Talk: Your Voice as a Superpower. Tampa Bay Area Cosplayers and Costumers will give a workshop on costume and prop construction.��

The convention will host Illustration faculty George Pratt, comic artist Sam de la Rosa, who has finished art, inked, and drawn for Marvel, DC, Disney, and Dark Horse Comics, and comic author Dan Conner, whose graphic book, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Battle for Pumpkin King, was ranked #14 on The New York Times Best Sellers List for Graphic Books and Manga. 

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������Ƶ will host from Friday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 25 on campus at the Roskamp Exhibition Hall. Anyone’s Game is a tabletop game conference that explores creativity, design, and openness in gaming. Up-and-coming tabletop game developers can test their game designs with players from the community and industry professionals from around the country. and .

The conference will include:

• Dozens of prototype games for attendees to playtest
• Tables for game developers to match with players and industry guests to test their games
• Design workshops led by award winning game designers

Schedule:

• Friday, Feb. 23: Opening Reception, 6 pm-10 pm
• Saturday, Feb. 24: Playtesting, 10 am-10 pm
• Sunday, Feb. 25: Workshops, 11 am-5 pm

Industry pros in attendance will include:

• PS Berge, game designer and media scholar

Projects include: Fish & Dagger and the ice: a tragic roleplaying game

• Carlos Cisco, game designer and screenwriter

Projects include: Star Trek: Discovery, MCDM, Candela Obscura

• Will Hindmarch, game designer and publisher

Projects include: Till the Last Gasp and Gameplaywright

• Kenneth Hite, game designer and writer

Projects include: Trail of Cthulhu, Night’s Black Agents, The Fall of Delta Green, and co-host of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff podcast

• Caro Murphy, interactive experience and live-action game designer

Projects Include: Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Incantrix interactive theater

All proceeds from Anyone’s Game go to supporting the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming. The Diana Jones Emerging Designers Fund amplifies the voices of up-and-coming designers, with a focus on creators from marginalized communities.  

($5 donation): Includes access to all three days of the conference, including opening night reception, Saturday playtesting, and Sunday game design workshops.

($20 donation): Includes access to a table on Saturday, Feb. 24 during the conference hours to run playtests of the designer’s game. In order to ensure table availability for all designers, designer badges are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. 

When purchasing a Designer Badge, please fill out the so that we can list your game for potential play testers and to enable registration tracking. You must fill out this form in order to ensure that you have a Designer Badge.

For questions about the conference, please contact Rick Dakan at anyonesgame@ringling.edu. 

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