Stephanie Sides' Education

M.A., Translation and Interpretation (Russian), Monterey Institute of International Studies, 1983
For my thesis, I translated a 200-page novel, Non-stop around the Clock, by emigré fiction writer Vassily Aksyonov from Russian to English. This satirical novel describes Aksyonov’s sabbatical as a visiting professor at UCLA in the 1970s before he emigrated to the U.S. Aksyonov incorporated portions of this novel into another novel that was translated into English and published by Random House as The Burn.

Certificate, Leningrad State University, Leningrad, USSR, Russian language studies, fall semester, 1981 (This university was renamed St. Petersburg State University when Leningrad was renamed St. Petersburg.)

B.A., Slavic Languages and Literatures, University of California, Berkeley (great distinction in general scholarship; Phi Beta Kappa), 1976

Diploma, Emma Willard School (graduated Cum Laude), 1973

Writing Classes

• Creating Web Pages, Miracosta College, April 15-May 22, 2009
• Anatomy of a Story, taught by Helen Chang, February 21, 2009, San Diego Writers, Ink
• Fiction Writing (10-week online class), Gotham Writers’ Workshop, September 23-December 2, 2008
• Introduction to Dangerous Writing, taught by Tom Spanbauer, October 10-12, 2008, San Diego Writers, Ink
• Getting Published, taught by Midge Raymond, July 19, 2008, San Diego Writers, Ink
• Story, the essential elements of story design, taught by Robert McKee, September 28-30, 2007, Los Angeles, CA
• Sun Magazine writing workshop, September 7-9, 2007, Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA

Art Classes

• Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, taught by Brian Bomeisler at Betty Edwards' studio, August 24-28, 2008, La Jolla, CA
• Sunlight, Shade, and Shadow, a watercolor workshop taught by Linda Doll, August 12-15, 2008, San Diego Watercolor Society
• Art & Spirituality, a 12-member class that met for three-day weekends once quarterly to explore issues related to art, color, creativity, and expression, November 2007-November 2008, taught by France-Marie and Richard Haeger at their home studio, Olivenhain, CA
• Various drawing, portraiture, watercolor, and pastel classes taught by Diane Adams, Drew Bandish, France-Marie Haeger, and Julie Vance, 2007-2008