I've been teaching writing and performance workshops since 1993. Below are descriptions of my current workshops and my performance and script consultation. For email updates on my upcoming workshops, click here . Get Up and Write! Every Wednesday via Zoom 8 to 9.15am Pacific Time FREE Click here to donate Like going to the gym first thing in the morning. 3 different writing prompts, plenty of time to write, and company in the creative process. Think of it as a trip to... The Imaginarium Please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early. We will start promptly at 8am. Make sure you're set up to write -- using either paper and writing implement, or your computer. Feel free to invite a friend! Email me and I'll send you the Zoom link! ________________________________________________________________________

< Back #4 Mitch's Silence Satire, Pranks and Other Comic Bonbons September 26, 2023 "Mitch's Silence," featuring Studs Terkel & Dr. Oliver Sacks I can't stop thinking about Sen. Mitch McConnell and that news conference, the one where he froze and went silent for 30 seconds. Then my friend Jim Rosenau sends me a link. It's to an old radio show. Studs Terkel, champion interviewer, is talking to beloved neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks. Both men are gone now, but Jim knows how much I love their voices. "A twofer," Jim says. I listen to the interview, then start doing their voices, just riffing to myself, which makes me exceedingly happy. Then the question poses itself: McConnell's silence + Studs Terkel + Oliver Sacks = ? I rough something out, call David Ford, and we get going. As is often the case, the best details come from David's fertile comic mind. Mitch's Silence 00:00 / 04:52 Keep the bonbons coming! Email me when the next one is ready! Email Subscribe Previous Next

Your first words as a canvasser are the most important (W hat I learned knocking on doors for Democratic Congressional candidate Adam Gray in Modesto 2024) My opening Hi my name is Charlie Varon I'm a volunteer I'm with Adam Gray and the Democrats Adam is running for Congress and he's asked us to talk to every voter in the district He wants to know what's most important to you Like, if you were in charge and could change one or two things, what would they be? I had one woman open her door partway She seemed preoccupied I knew she wanted to get back to what she'd been doing But she answered the question - Homelessness, there are all these homeless people nearby I said, "Tell me more about that." She did I took notes, I drew her out, I repeated what she said That went on for a minute or two Then I said: "Would it be okay if I share what you're saying about homelessness with Adam Gray?" Yes And the conversation continued for another 5 minutes Only after listening to her with complete focus and respect, until she had said her piece, did I even find out her name. After that, I told her why I'm volunteering for Adam Gray and why I'm excited about him Then I began filling out the PDI survey When I said, "Can I put you down as a supporter for Adam Gray?" I showed her my phone, so she essentially was helping me fill out the form By the end of the convo, she said she would fill out her ballot, mail it in, and tell three friends about the election and about Adam The reasoning My opening is kind of a run-on sentence I don't rush through it, but I don't stop either I don't ask if I'm talking to the right person I don't try to bond about the weather I don't talk about the candidate I don't want any give and take yet I am trying to get as directly as I can from saying my name to asking my question a question that gets the voter talking a question that treats the voter as the expert - the more important person in the "scene" Changing the game The question changes the expectation of what happens when someone knocks on your door I am not a salesman going door to door selling a candidate I am an ambassador from the candidate A candidate who wants to know what voters are thinking I am a listener, a note-taker, in a way I am the voter's secretary taking shorthand as they dictate Respect The more I can let go of my agenda, the more I can treat the voter as the most important person in a democracy, the more effective I am. Some things I notice when I do this: People's body language changes once they start saying their truth They become less defensive People long to be heard They listen better after they have been heard and feel respected I didn't come up with this approach Here's where I learned it I've also drawn on the ideas of my friends Elizabeth Chur and Jackie Tulsky (talkwithvoters.com )

< Back #14 Poetry Unwound: "Circling" August 28, 2024 Written & performed by Charlie Varon Collaboration: J.P. Tilleman Poetry Unwound - Circling 00:00 / 02:28 Keep the bonbons coming! Email me when the next one is ready! Email Subscribe Attention, writers and performers: I have openings for mentoring/coaching starting in February. Previous Next

Bernie Sanders' dream of Henry Kissinger Charlie Varon 's Comic Bonbons #8: "Bernie's Henry Kissinger Dream " Bernie's Henry Kissinger Dream 00:00 / 03:24 Written by Charlie Varon & David Ford Performed by Charlie Varon Keep the bonbons coming! Email me when the next one is ready! Email Subscribe Use code BONBON and save $25 on the Intensive

"Wake up and smell the data" Charlie Varon's Comic Bonbons #24: "Wake up and smell the data!" (feat. Oliver Sacks & Studs Terkel) Wake up and smell the data 00:00 / 04:38 Written & performed by Charlie Varon Collaboration: J.P. Tilleman, David Ford Next live pop-up show! Wed April 22, 2026 at The Magic Patio in SF Get tix Find out what else I'm up to this spring

Alan Watts - "You are the egg man" Charlie Varon's Comic Bonbons #21: Alan Watts, "You are the egg man" Alan Watts - You are the egg man 00:00 / 02:16 Written & performed by Charlie Varon Collaboration: J.P. Tilleman Special Thanks: David Ford Live show Wed May 28 at 7pm in SF! Get tix now More announcements #1 Don't postpone writing your memoir! Say What You Mean Before You Die New session starts May 1 #2 Can't stand what's happening in this country? Life is better when you're doing something to change it Here's one place to start

About the Year in Review It started simply enough. One Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Katie included in her evening sermon a few sentences about the events of the past year. I liked that: it felt true, important. I suggested we do it again the following year, but more fully. What if it became a separate thing, not part of the sermon? Katie agreed and, being a good leader, delegated it to me. I’ve done the Year in Review every Erev Rosh Hashanah since 2010. I’ve been standing in front of audiences for over 40 years, but the response I get to the Year in Review is different from anything else I’ve experienced. People heartily thank me (but I’ve been thanked before). Some ask me to email them a copy (but I’ve been asked for scripts before). So what’s the difference? My hunch is that the Year in Review meets a need. A need that we may not have even known we had, for communal orientation. The Year in Review is a collective marking of time, an acknowledgment of what we have lived through, are living through. Watch 5785: The Year in Review

< Back #1 Gunther's Dream August 23, 2023 Comic Bonbon #1: Gunther's Dream It's January 2021. The depth of the pandemic. The medical storytelling podcast The Nocturnists, has put out a call for dreams. Physicians should make audio recordings of their dreams and nightmares, and upload them; some will be included in an upcoming episode. So, one day I'm talking to the podcast's host, my friend Emily Silverman (mentioned above), and she tells me they've just received this amazing dream from this German-accented physician. I didn't have the heart to tell her... Please feel free to share this bonbon with friends! For the next bonbon, click here Gunther's Dream 00:00 / 04:47 Keep the bonbons coming! Email me when the next one is ready! Email Subscribe Previous Next

John Cheever - The Angel of the Bridge - read by Malachy McCourt 00:00 / 25:13

Charlie Varon's satire and other mischief The Many Voices of Charlie Varon #4 Satire, Pranks and Other Comic Bonbons Comic Bonbon #4: "Mitch's Silence," featuring Studs Terkel & Dr. Oliver Sacks September 2023 I can't stop thinking about Sen. Mitch McConnell and that news conference, the one where he froze and went silent for 30 seconds. Then my friend Jim Rosenau sends me a link. It's to an old radio show . Studs Terkel, champion interviewer, is talking to beloved neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks. Both men are gone now, but Jim knows how much I love their voices. "A twofer," Jim says. I listen to the interview, then start doing their voices, just riffing to myself, which makes me exceedingly happy. Then the question poses itself: McConnell's silence + Studs Terkel + Oliver Sacks = ? I rough something out, call David Ford, and we get going. As is often the case, the best details come from David's fertile comic mind. Mitch's Silence 00:00 / 04:52 Keep the bonbons coming! Email me when the next one is ready! Email Subscribe

Free writing workshop Monday mornings in SF Start your week immersed in creativity and community Charlie's Monday Salon a welcoming space for writers and performers to connect, create, and share When: Mondays, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Where: Noe Valley Ministry, 1021 Sanchez St, San Francisco Upcoming Dates: Aug 31, Sept 14, Sept 28 Salon Schedule 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Writing Session Work from Charlie's writing prompts or focus on your own project. Then, 10 minutes to share work with a fellow writer 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Community Sharing Listen to new works presented by writers and performers. Additional Information: Participation is flexible; drop in as your schedule allows. There is no admission fee; donations are welcome. All are welcome, regardless of experience level. Click here & I'll keep you posted Find out about my small group workshops