- Faculty; On Location
Not everyone approaches Paul Bellerive’s writing classes at SNHU’s Manchester Location with enthusiasm.
“It’s not at all unusual for me to hear, ‘I’ve always hated writing’,” says Bellerive, the published author of a poetry collection and a number of short stories. “Many Continuing Education students have had not-so-great experiences learning to write in high school or even in college. So they get the idea that they just can’t do it.”
Bellerive uses a learn-by-doing approach to help students get past their fears.
“I can talk all day about techniques and rules, but until you sit down to write, you’re not making any progress,” he says. “My students do a lot of writing. I also pay close attention to each student’s needs.”
Bellerive says his students generally reach the point where they can express themselves well—and with “a minimum of trepidation.” Of course, some go further. One especially apprehensive student ended up in law school, winning accolades for his writing.
“He came in saying he hated to write, but he ended up being one of the best writers I’ve ever had,” Bellerive recalls. “He had talent; it was just a matter of giving him a chance to use it.”
Then there’s the poetry writing group, formed 12 years ago at an electrical engineering company and still going strong.
“Everyone in the group is an engineer or a computer scientist,” Bellerive says. “One of the members, a Ph.D. in computer programming, got so involved in the group that she earned an M.F.A. in writing and got some of her work published. Others are making huge strides, too.”
