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ALL
S
CLASSE
E
ONLIN
Spring 2021
writing & reading
classesTABLE OF CONTENTS COVID-19: All Spring 2021
classes will take place online.
About Our Classes ... 2 All classes are listed in Pacific Time.
Highlights ... 3 Classes listed as “Asynchronous” will be held on our Wet Ink
platform that allows for asynchronous learning. Students will receive
Fiction ... 4 an invitation to join Wet Ink on the class start date.
Nonfiction ... 9
Poetry ... 13
Mixed Genre ... 18
Writing for Performance ... 23
Reading ... 24
The Writing Life ... 25
Free Resources ... 27
About Our Teachers ... 31
iiiiFrom Our Education Director
REGISTRATION
Register by phone at 206.322.7030 After a year of learning a new way to live amongst each other, Spring has
or online at hugohouse.org. arrived again. Neruda said, “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot
keep Spring from coming.” Thank heavens for them—the flowers, the
All registration opens at 10:30 am words, the things that are keeping us going.
$500+ donor registration: March 8
Member registration: March 9 This season, I hope you will join us for a special free community workshop
General registration: March 16 led by Felicia Rose Chavez, author of The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop,
who will help us learn to “read in service of the author’s agenda, articulate
Register early to save with early bird constructive questions, and moderate our own feedback.” Please find more
pricing, in effect March 8–22. information on this and all our other free classes in the Free Resources
section on page 27.
SCHOLARSHIPS Please note that we’ve added closed captioning to all of our classes, for
anyone who needs or wants to follow along with a live transcript. If there
Need-based scholarships are available are other access needs we can help you with, please don’t hesitate to reach
every quarter. Applications are due out to registrar@hugohouse.org. We have or will acquire the resources to
March 15, and scholarship applicants make class accessible for you.
will be notified March 22.
In partnership with Seattle Escribe, we’re offering two classes this quarter:
Visit bit.ly/HHscholarship for more Gabriel García Márquez (this time in English, summer quarter in Spanish)
information and to apply. and Ver para crear, a free class for the community.
We’ve also included five one-session nature-writing classes in April, in
MEMBERSHIP celebration of Earth Day. If you’re looking to center your work on place or
advocate for environmental justice, keep an eye out for the classes marked
As a member, you help us provide with this icon:
thought-provoking classes and events
that connect writers and readers to the I’m thrilled to bring on many new voices this quarter, including Crosscut
craft of writing. You’ll also receive great reporter Lola E. Peters; five-time novelist Darien Hsu Gee, whom I met
benefits, including early registration in the Zoom room taking a Hugo House class last spring; and poet and
and discounts on classes and events. activist Patricia Spears Jones, whose recent poem in the New Yorker, “Betye
Learn more at Saar’s ‘Mystic Chart for an Unemployed Sorceress,’” ends with these
hugohouse.org/become-member/ gorgeous lines:
What must I do to bring
QUESTIONS? Runes from my parched throat, medicine back to my pockets.
If you want to know more about a class See you in the classroom,
or Hugo House policies, email us at
registrar@hugohouse.org or call
206.322.7030. We are here to help!
Margot Kahn Case
hugohouse.org 206.322.7030 registrar@hugohouse.org
1ABOUT OUR CLASSES
STUDENT GUIDELINES
CLASS LEVELS
Our Student Guidelines are intended to help you and your fellow
TIERED | These courses are designed students engage in our literary community with compassion, curiosity,
to equip you with tools, skills, and an and consideration. If you experience or witness any harassment or
understanding of the diverse voices at discrimination in a Hugo House class, please alert the registrar:
work in each genre. You may self-select registrar@hugohouse.org or 206.322.7030.
into classes based on where you feel
comfortable. Take these classes as Hugo House does not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist,
many times as you like. transphobic, or any other oppressive behaviors. Please alert Margot Kahn
Case, education director, if you experience or witness any harassment or
ALL LEVELS | Many classes at Hugo discrimination. At all times, please:
House are intended for writers at any
ABOUT OUR CLASSES
level, regardless of prior writing class • Remain respectful of all writers (and their work) in the classroom.
experience. • If you come into the classroom with a background of privilege, be
aware of that position and the ways in which it can potentially affect
INTRODUCTORY | Writers with other students.
limited experience in a writing class or
• Be intentional in working against traditional power dynamics, which
workshop setting who want to expand
can alienate and silence voices that have been historically marginalized.
their knowledge should consider
introductory classes. These classes are • Be aware that your fellow students have an equal right to the class
also designed for writers who want to space and time.
explore a new genre. • Put aside personal technology, if not being used for the purpose of
the class.
INTERMEDIATE | Writers with some
experience in genre-specific instruction For the full version, please visit: hugohouse.org/classes/student-guidelines/
looking to deepen their understanding
should consider intermediate classes. ACCESS NEEDS
These classes often feature a workshop
component in which student work is For students with access needs, Hugo House is ready to help. Teachers
shared and critiqued. should reach out about access needs, but please also feel free to notify the
registrar of your individual needs before your class begins.
ADVANCED | Writers with significant
experience in a writing class or CATALOG KEY
workshop setting who seek assistance
and feedback with revision should This denotes an asynchronous class. These classes can be done
consider advanced classes. at your own pace throughout the week.
REFUNDS CANCELLATIONS & TRANSFERS
Hugo House cannot provide refunds, If you need to cancel your registration for a class, the following refund
transfers, or makeup sessions for classes schedule applies:
a student might miss. If Hugo House
has to cancel a class, you will receive a • 3 days or more before a class, a class credit or transfer will be issued
full refund. less a $15 fee. Refunds will be issued less a $35 fee.
• Less than 3 business days before a class starts, no refund, credits, or
transfers are available.
• No refunds, credits, or transfers are available after classes begin.
2HIGHLIGHTS
FICTION
RUSSELL BANKS
WRITING DOWN TO THE ROOT OF MEANING
All Levels | Participants will bring the first page of a new story or novel, typed and
double-spaced. We will start with these twigs at the top of the tree and work our way
down to the trunk, on our way to the root of meaning. Using the first paragraphs
of several classic short stories and novels as guides, we will examine the difference
between the start and the beginning of a story or novel. Participants should not
bring the first page of an already written work of fiction or one that has been
sketched out or outlined. This is not about revision. This is not a workshop. Start
fresh with no more than a couple of prose twigs.
One session | Friday, May 14 | 1:10–4:10 pm
General: $150 | Member: $135
HIGHLIGHTS
POETRY
PATRICIA SPEARS JONES
CAN THIS POEM BE SAVED?
Intermediate/Advanced | Often, we find ourselves with stacks or files of nearly
finished, not-quite-there poems—revisions have come and gone and yet the
poem remains in question. And the question is, Can this poem be saved? Well,
sometimes yes and sometimes, sadly, no. But if you have poems that might need
a new beginning or a new perceiving—this workshop asks that you bring them
in and let’s see if the poem or poems can, indeed, be saved. Oh, and maybe you’ll
find yourself with a stack of new poems, too.
Photo: Rachel Eliza Griffiths Four sessions | Thursdays, April 8–May 6 [no class Apr. 29] | 1:10–3:10 pm
General: $240 | Member: $216
MIXED GENRE
REBECCA MAKKAI
INTERIORITY COMPLEX
Intermediate/Advanced | The great advantage of prose (over theater, film, and
life) is that we’re privy to characters’ interior states. But how can a writer get
thoughts and emotions across, other than by stating them flat-out or by updating
us constantly on breathing and heart rate? We’ll explore ways to use tangent,
gesture, backstory, action, association, and more to give characters a rich internal
life without resorting to the old cardiopulmonary check-in.
One session | Sunday, April 11 | 10 am–1 pm
General: $150 | Member: $135
3FICTION
tiered classes
FICTION II ALMA GARCÍA
This class will build upon craft learned in Fiction I. We’ll briefly review the basics of Eight sessions
character, conflict, and plot, then focus on craft elements including point of view, Thursdays, April 8–May 27
setting, scene, pacing, and dialogue. Students will read published stories weekly, 7:10–9:10 pm
do weekly in-class and take-home writing exercises, lead discussions, and workshop General: $395 | Member: $355
their own drafts (including a full story or story/novel excerpt) in a supportive
environment with their teacher and peers.
FICTION III SUSAN MEYERS
This class will build upon craft learned in Fiction I and II. Students can expect Ten sessions
advanced readings, regular workshops, and feedback from their classmates and Tuesdays, April 6–June 8
instructor. We’ll look at each other’s drafts with an eye to properly balancing the [No class Feb. 18]
elements of story, such as plot, character, voice, and pacing, into a well-structured, 5–7 pm
thematically resonant whole that keeps the reader turning the pages. As time General: $480 | Member: $432
allows, we’ll also examine published work that inspires and instructs.
FICTION
FICTION III (ASYNCHRONOUS) PETER MOUNTFORD
This online class focuses primarily on offering participants opportunities Ten sessions
for advanced peer review—reading and responding to each other’s full April 6–June 8
short stories or novel excerpts, as well as shorter assignments. In addition to plenty Online via Wet Ink
of peer review, Fiction III—which builds on lessons from Fiction I and Fiction General: $480 | Member: $432
II (although those are not prerequisites)—offers advanced craft lessons, as well as
videos, podcasts, and resources for publication and expanding your writing com-
munity. This class takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and sessions
can be done at your own pace throughout the week.
general
AUTOFICTION CORINNE MANNING
All Levels | Unlike personal essay and memoir, which are the explorations of what Four sessions
was, autofiction allows us to keenly feel into what was while also imagining the Wednesdays, April 7–28
form and occasion of the story being told. In this generative workshop we will 7:10–9:10 pm
experiment with methods that will manipulate the lived and sensed reality of our General: $240 | Member: $216
experience and attempt a form that creates greater possibility for experimentation.
Example writers will include Dionne Brand, Yūko Tsushima, and Hervé Guibert.
WRITING ALONGSIDE THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE RUTH JOFFRE
FICTION AND FANTASY 2020 Six sessions
All Levels | Each week, we will read and discuss at least two stories from BASFF Thursdays, April 8–May 13
2020. Lesson plans will focus on story elements such as worldbuilding, character 7:10–9:10 pm
development, time management, information release, and more. In-class exercises General: $305 | Member: $275
and writing prompts will help students emulate what they have read and apply the
skills we discuss in class.
4MOBY-DICK AND MARILYNNE ROBINSON LIZA BIRNBAUM
All Levels | Marilynne Robinson’s first novel, Housekeeping, is a slim book about Ten sessions
two young women growing up in a Northern Idaho town—a scope and premise Thursdays, April 8–June 10
strikingly unlike Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick. Why, then, was Robinson’s work- 5–7 pm
ing title for the manuscript “Moby-Jane”? In this class, we’ll read Moby-Dick and General: $480 | Member: $432
Housekeeping, paying close attention to their affinities and considering how both
writers’ lyric language, vivid description, and what Robinson calls the “spectacular
exploration of the metaphorical acts of consciousness” might influence our own
work.
WRITING MAXIMALIST PROSE JOHN ENGLEHARDT
All Levels | For writers interested in achieving higher levels of specificity in their Four sessions
work, this class will explore literary maximalism, a style that favors digression, Saturdays, April 10–May 1
reference, and elaborate detail. In addition to studying examples from Karen Tei 1:10–3:10 pm
Yamashita, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, Lucy Ellmann, and William Faulkner, General: $240 | Member: $216
we’ll also undertake in-class and take-home writing exercises that will encourage
maximalist modes of expression.
THE ELEGANCE OF COMPRESSION KIRSTEN SUNDBERG
Intermediate/Advanced | Many of the best short stories convey the wholeness and LUNSTRUM
richness of a character’s entire life in only a handful of pages. How? We’ll examine One session
FICTION
five example stories with narrative arcs that span their character’s life, specifically Saturday, April 10
considering how these stories’ authors use precision in language and pattern in 10 am–1 pm
structure, and “turn” rather than “close” to achieve the kind of complexity and General: $90 | Member: $81
fullness often attributed only to longer works. Writing exercises will also be offered
as a way for class participants to experiment with their own fiction. Participants
should come to class having read all five example stories.
LITERARY HORROR: USING FEAR IN FICTION ANNESHA MITHA
All Levels | This class will explore how horror tropes and “scary fiction” can be Six sessions
used in ambitious and socially conscious storytelling. Through discussion of rele- Sundays, April 11–May 16
vant texts, we will determine how we can use fear to illuminate something essential 1:10–3:10 pm
about the world around us. Readings include work by Shirley Jackson, Octavia General: $305 | Member: $275
Butler, Jordan Peele, Victor LaValle, and Samanta Schweblin. Students will gener-
ate and share new work, and can expect to come away with at least one full-length
story draft or novel chapter.
WRITING HISTORICAL FICTION ELISE HOOPER
All Levels | Is there a historical figure or event that interests you? A story in your Six sessions
family’s past that’s begging to be told? A persistent “what if ” about history that Monday, April 19–May 24
won’t stop nagging you? Let’s fire up our imaginations and investigative skills and 1:10–3:10 pm
get to work. In this class, we’ll explore the balance between fact and fiction by div- General: $305 | Member: $275
ing into history. Each week we’ll explore research strategies, hone our craft with
writing exercises, share our work for feedback, and study and discuss the writing of
Toni Morrison, Hilary Mantel, George Saunders, and others. By the end of these
six weeks, you could have a draft of a short story or the start of a new longer piece.
5REVISING WITH E.M. FORSTER’S ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL NICOLA DEROBERTIS-THEYE
Intermediate | So you have a first draft of the novel. Congratulations! Now you One session
need to make it better—but how? Where do you start? We’ll use E.M. Forster’s Sunday, April 24
1927 classic Aspects of the Novel to discuss how one might go about tackling such a 10 am–1 pm
project. His ‘aspects’ are divided into The Story, People, The Plot, Fantasy, Prophecy, General: $90 | Member: $81
and Pattern and Rhythm; these will provide guideposts in our discussion.
WRITING WITH GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ MARGARITA BORRERO
All Levels | This course will focus on Gabriel García Márquez, one of the best writ- Six sessions
ers of the twentieth century. Based on his writings, we will center on how to find Saturdays, May 1–June 12
the story, choosing the right moment for the opening, taking advantage of point [No class May 29]
of view, plotting, and balancing style and form. We will study García Márquez’s 10 am–12 pm
own testimony about how his stories took form and examine the storytelling tools General: $305 | Member: $275
and evolution that made him a master of the craft. At the end of each lesson, we’ll
do class exercises aimed at exploring our own writing. This class is being offered in
collaboration with Seattle Escribe and will be offered in Spanish in Summer 2021.
REVISION STRATEGIES CARI LUNA
Intermediate | Do you find yourself at a loss when revising your fiction, spending One session
hours moving commas around while the larger edits evade you? Revising your Sunday, May 2
FICTION
writing can be an intimidating, overwhelming experience, but it doesn’t have to 10 am–1 pm
be. In this class, you’ll learn tools and techniques to help you analyze your work, General: $90 | Member: $81
to see the big picture as well as all the intricate moving parts, and to then revise it
to a final, polished draft. Bring a draft of a story or a novel excerpt that you’d like
to work on in class.
MARY GAITSKILL’S SHORT FICTION JOHN ENGLEHARDT
All Levels | This class will explore the craft of Mary Gaitskill’s short fiction, such Four sessions
as her concept of the “inner weave,” temporal distortions, and her matter-of-fact Wednesdays, May 5–26
portrayal of taboo subjects. We will also discuss the recurring themes of sexuality, 7:10–9:10 pm
violence, and wayward lives that have filled her stories since her 1988 debut, Bad General: $240 | Member: $216
Behavior. Class will be a discussion-based, collaborative “book club” environment,
with some informal or analytic writing assignments.
GET YOUR NOVEL DONE JOSHUA MARIE WILKINSON
All Levels | In this class, we’ll focus on every stage of writing a novel: from outlining Six sessions
and drafting to revision and completion. Each week we’ll focus on one aspect of Thursdays, May 6–June 10
the novelist’s practice—like developing an outline—as well as one element of 5–7 pm
storytelling craft, like suspenseful dialogue. Through a mix of seminar discussions, General: $305 | Member: $275
brief lectures, writing exercises, and close readings, students will develop the skills
necessary to complete a draft of their novel.
6EXPERIMENTS IN FORM JACQUELINE KOLOSOV
All Levels | In this class, we will explore the possibilities of form in fiction, using Six sessions
structural resources such as Jane Alison’s Meander, Spiral, Explode: Design and Saturdays, May 8–June 12
Pattern in Narrative along with the more traditional (and perhaps archetypal) 1:10–3:10 pm
hero’s (or heroine’s) quest that engages Joseph Campbell’s much-discussed model. General: $305 | Member: $275
As part of our exploration, each of the first three weeks will include readings
in form as well as fiction along with a brief craft assignment. During the latter
three weeks, writers will submit a story draft or a novel chapter-in-progress for
discussion. We will read work by a wide range of writers including Peter Orner,
Julia Wickersham, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, and Helen Oyeyemi.
HOW TO CONCLUDE A STORY OR NOVEL J. RYAN STRADAL
All Levels | One of the hardest jobs we have as fiction writers is deciding how One session
and where to stop. In this one-day class, we’ll examine some of the classic endings Sunday, May 9
in literature, explore the different styles and purposes of an ending, and discuss 1:10–4:10 pm
strategies for our own. To get the most out of this class, students should have a General: $150 | Member: $135
work-in-progress—anything from an outline to a finished manuscript—and
provide an ending of their own (or another they admire) for discussion.
WRITING KIDS IN A GROWN-UP WORLD EVAN RAMZIPOOR
FICTION
All Levels | The Family Fang, The Kite Runner, Ender’s Game, All the Light We One session
Cannot See . . . Some of our most memorable and sophisticated fiction is populated Sunday, May 16
by child protagonists. Children often see and hear everything that we miss, which 1:10–4:10 pm
makes them uniquely difficult (and interesting) characters. Students will learn General: $90 | Member: $81
how to write complex kids and young adults for an adult market. We will conduct
small-group exercises and analyze scenes from recent novels. Students will then
practice their skills by writing a short scene.
MODERN ALLEGORICAL FICTION JOHN ENGLEHARDT
All Levels | This class will study contemporary narratives that express abstract ideas Four sessions
through imagery, character, and action—otherwise known as allegories, fables, or Thursdays, May 20–June 10
parables. In addition to studying the craft of stories that are “vehicles for ideas,” 7:10–9:10 pm
we’ll discuss the role of the interpretive process in allegorical fiction. Authors General: $240 | Member: $216
we’ll examine might include Rebecca Brown, Toni Morrison, George Saunders,
Margaret Atwood, and Haruki Murakami. Class will be a mix of discussion, lecture,
and writing assignments.
CASUAL CONVERSATION BRUCE HOLBERT
All Levels | We say several thousand words a day to one another, yet writing di- One session
alogue is tricky. It must remain true to how we speak but not too much so. It Saturday, May 22
must move plot and character without appearing to. And, like the best dances, 1:10–4:10 pm
good dialogue is the game, sometimes friendly, others not, that propels characters General: $90 | Member: $81
through stories. You may bring previous work to discuss, or we’ll create something
new based on dexterous dialogue by Amy Hempel, Henry Green, Alice Walker,
Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, and Jean Rhys.
7POLITICS AND PROSE:
TACKLING SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES THROUGH FICTION JENNIFER DE LEON
All Levels | In a time of political upheaval, amidst a saturated media landscape, One session
deeply imagined narratives of individual lives are more important than ever. In this Wednesday, June 2
session, we will explore the craft considerations in creating prose that gives a human 1:10–4:10 pm
face to charged political issues. How do writers depict the realities of place and time General: $90 | Member: $81
while maintaining allegiance to the desires and complexities of individual lives?
How do we convey strongly held beliefs without becoming didactic and boring?
Writers who are working on fiction about social issues are encouraged to bring in
their work with opportunity for questions and discussion.
CHARACTER AS ACTION ROBIN MCLEAN
All Levels | “Character,” according to Aristotle, “gives us qualities, but it is in One session
action—what we do—that we are happy or the reverse.” In this one-day session, Sunday, June 6
writers of fiction will explore building more engaging characters through action, 1:10–4:10 pm
as opposed to dialogue or happenstance. Come away with methods for swiftly General: $90 | Member: $81
giving your characters more agency and depth, freeing them to move your story
forward in unexpected ways. We will look to Samuel Beckett for guidance.
WORLDBUILDING EVAN RAMZIPOOR
FICTION
All Levels | Though we often associate worldbuilding with fantasy, every story is a One session
series of nesting dolls with worlds inside of them: countries, cities, neighborhoods, Sunday, June 6
friend groups, and internal frameworks. Students will learn how to create and 1:10–4:10 pm
populate worlds on the page. We will conduct group exercises and discuss excerpts General: $90 | Member: $81
from work by China Miéville, Eleanor Catton, Margaret Atwood, Daniel Handler,
and Donna Tartt. This is a genre-agnostic class, so expect to come away with
paradigms you can apply to any story.
TIME AS A TOOL FOR TENSION ROBIN MCLEAN
All Levels | There are always at least two ticking clocks in fiction. One is the One session
timeline of the story. The other is the clock on the reader’s patience. To get the Sunday, June 13
reader to the end of the tale, the two clocks must interact successfully through 1:10–4:10 pm
a series of decisions to keep the tension taut: where to compress time for best General: $90 | Member: $81
effect, where to expand it, where to jump ahead or back. In this one-day session
you will practice—looking to Joy Williams, Colson Whitehead, and Chekhov for
guidance—the careful management of time to increase the tension and, therefore,
power in your fiction.
8NONFICTION
tiered classes
CREATIVE NONFICTION I BETH SLATTERY
This class helps you decide the best way to tell the nonfiction story you want to tell. Six sessions
We will figure out the true topic of our pieces, and how to most effectively explore Tuesdays, April 6–May 11
those topics through points of view, scene, reflection, and form. Using generative 10 am–12 pm
writing, reading, and an introduction to the workshop model, we will begin to General: $305 | Member: $275
investigate our own personal stories. Students will generate 15–20 pages, which
will be shared in workshop and will receive extensive instructor feedback.
CREATIVE NONFICTION II NICOLE HARDY
This class will build on craft learned in Creative Nonfiction I with a focus on Eight sessions
structure and form. We will investigate both traditional and nontraditional forms, Tuesdays, April 13–June 1
including memoir, the lyric essay, and the hermit crab essay, as well as the role of 7:10–9:10 pm
research in creative nonfiction. Students can expect weekly readings, exercises, and General: $395 | Member: $355
workshops with significant instructor feedback.
NONFICTION
CREATIVE NONFICTION III GAIL FOLKINS
This class will be a mix of craft discussion and workshop to hone your essays so they Ten sessions
pop on the page. Readings will include key elements of structure and narrative. Tuesdays, April 6–June 8
For much of the class, your essays will serve as the text in a productive workshop 5–7 pm
setting. Each student will have two of their essays workshopped. Generate new General: $480 | Member: $432
material or come to class with work in progress.
general
FROM HISTORY TO STORY (ASYNCHRONOUS) SUSAN MEYERS
Introductory | You’ve got a life story to tell, but how can you turn “history” Eight sessions
into a “story”? What should you include? And what should you leave out? April 6–May 25
Moreover, how can you make your memories interesting to a reader? This class ex- Online via Wet Ink
plores storytelling techniques from memoir to autobiographical fiction to help you General: $395 | Member: $355
bring your story to life. This class takes place online through our partners at Wet
Ink, and sessions can be done at your own pace throughout the week.
INTRO TO WRITING MEMOIR, PART III:
STRUCTURING AND SHARING YOUR STORIES THEO NESTOR
Introductory | This eight-week course will focus on methods for structuring your Eight sessions
personal narratives so that they are powerful, unified, and publishable. The course Tuesdays, April 6–May 25
will offer strategies for improving your stories’ impact, flow, and coherence, and 5–7 pm
give you plenty of opportunities to practice those strategies. You will also be pro- General: $575 | Member: $518
vided with resources for finding and selecting places to submit your work for pub-
lication, skills for formatting your work and communicating with publications, and
tips for preparing to share your stories with the world. Registration for the one-day
Publishing Intensive, May 8, 2021, is included in the fee for this course.
9READING AND WRITING DISABILITY EMILY RAPP BLACK
Introductory | This is an introductory course in disability studies. We will read Ten sessions
work written by people with disabilities about their experiences living and thriving Tuesdays, April 6–June 8
with disability, and we will also read some literary and cultural theory. We will 1:10–3:10 pm
read fiction in which a person with a disability is the protagonist. Reading will General: $480 | Member: $432
come from the anthologies About Us: Essays from the New York Times Disability
Series and Beauty is a Verb by Sheila Black. Participants will be offered generative
exercises each week.
SHAPING THE STORY: ADVANCED MEMOIR EMILY RAPP BLACK
Advanced | This class is for people who are writing a book-length memoir and Ten sessions
looking for structural guidance. We will embrace the difficult task of revision, Thursdays, April 8–June 10
which almost always comes down to structural tweaks and considerations. This is 1:10–3:10 pm
a workshop, so students will be able to submit one chapter (up to 25 pages) and a General: $480 | Member: $432
“rough sketch/overview” that provides context for the chapter within the larger arc
of the book.
FINDING YOUR STORY THEO NESTOR
NONFICTION
Introductory/Intermediate | Many writers experience a longing to write about their One session
own lives but little idea of where to begin, of where to dig to unearth the stories you Saturday, April 17
know are there somewhere. Together, we will drill down and find those stories. The 1:10–4:10 pm
class will include some lecture and discussion, but the bulk of the session will be General: $90 | Member: $81
spent on writing prompts. Bring your laptop or pen and paper and your willingness
to write and discover.
THE ART OF SLOW WRITING ANN HEDREEN
All Levels | “The best writing grows by accretion, over time,” writes Louise De- One session
Salvo in The Art of Slow Writing. “Taking time prevents us from writing knee-jerk Sunday, April 18
responses to challenging material. It encourages us to reflect upon, and express, 1:10–4:10 pm
the complexity of our subjects.” In this generative class, we’ll explore ways to slow General: $90 | Member: $81
down our memoir writing: to allow ourselves time to imagine, to experiment, to
add richness and depth. We’ll also look at examples by writers who work this way,
including John Steinbeck, Annie Dillard, Pam Houston, and Barack Obama.
WRITING THE GARDEN BONNIE J. ROUGH
All Levels | “I am intrigued by writers who garden and gardeners who write. The Eight sessions
pen and the trowel are not interchangeable, but seem often linked,” writes land- Tuesdays, April 20–June 8
scape historian and literary biographer Marta McDowell. This class for writers and 10 am–12 pm
gardeners of all levels will explore that fertile link, drawing the narratives out of General: $395 | Member: $355
our flower beds, delving for meaning in our veggie plots, cultivating rich metaphor,
and most of all, digging into the hidden-in-plain-sight stories that our past and
present gardens tell about us—our lives, our loves, and our fleeting toeholds on
this earth. We’ll use samples of classic and contemporary garden literature as seeds
for our weekly prompts and exercises, finding abundant opportunities to share,
collaborate, and nurture tender starts into full bloom.
10SELF-PORTRAITS AND LANDSCAPES:
BRINGING THE PERSONAL INTO NATURE WRITING LIZA BIRNBAUM
All Levels | When we write about nature, there’s always an observing “I” One session
embedded in what we describe—and when we write about our personal Sunday, April 25
experience, there’s always some context beyond our human surroundings. In this 1:10–4:10 pm
class, we’ll try our hand at writing prose that brings the relationship between the General: $90 | Member: $81
self and the nonhuman world into sharp focus. We’ll look at examples by Annie
Dillard, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and others, focusing on the craft choices they use
to paint dual portraits of themselves and their surroundings. You’ll leave with new
writing and inspiration for moving forward.
WRITING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE LOLA E. PETERS
All Levels | Whether writing essays, short stories, or novels, writing effectively is Two sessions
as much craft as art. Unlike speech, where you can use facial expression or vocal Tuesdays, May 11–18
inflection to clarify the passion and meaning of your words, writing requires skill 5–7 pm
to convey feeling and context. Explore what makes an article compelling and how General: $120 | Member: $108
you can harness those elements to write effectively. In the first session we’ll identify
elements of effective social justice writing and write our own short pieces. In the
NONFICTION
second week we’ll strengthen what you’ve written.
TRUTH OR FICTION SUSAN MEYERS
Introductory | Writing about real life can be tricky. You may not remember all the One session
details—or, you may want to change information to protect people or make a story Saturday, May 15
more interesting. But how much is okay to change? This class explores memoir and 1:10–5:10 pm
autobiographical fiction to examine how “true” your life stories should be. We’ll General: $90 | Member: $81
consult writers like Patricia Hampl, David Sedaris, Maxine Hong Kingston, and
Carmen Maria Machado; and we’ll use writing exercises to help you begin your own
personal writing project.
MORE THAN MEMORIES: MAKING MEANING IN MEMOIR KIMBERLY DARK
All Levels | Memories aren’t enough. We have to connect them to culture, to his- One session
tory, to zeitgeist—and then be as clear and specific about our unique perspectives Saturday, May 22
as possible. In this generative workshop, we’ll open a number of creative doorways 1:10–4:10 pm
(and windows and portholes and tunnels) into meaning and discuss how and why General: $90 | Member: $81
they work. Participants will leave with at least twelve new prompts for mining
memory and life stories for deeper meaning.
OPINION WRITING 101: THE ART OF THE OP-ED ELISABETH EAVES
Introductory | In a time of division, how do you convince others of your point Two sessions
of view? Writers who shape the way we think have mastered the art and craft of Thursdays, May 27 & June 3
the op-ed. We’ll dissect successful op-eds and talk surefire structure. Students will 5–7 pm
submit story ideas for feedback, and during the second session will outline their General: $120 | Member: $108
own drafts. As this is a class about persuasion, controversial ideas will likely be
discussed. Readings will be sent out in advance.
11NARRATIVE RECLAMATION FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR:
POWER ON THE PAGE ZAIN SHAMOON
Intermediate | This class confronts sociopolitical power dynamics that have his- Two sessions
torically interrupted voices of color from being heard. We will discuss these power Sundays, June 6 & 13
dynamics, and what it means to make space for communities of color, as we work 1:10–4:10 pm
to express our stories in an oppressive world. Using writing as a form of resistance, General: $180 | Member: $162
we will center stories of color to generate pieces about taking back power through
the page. This class will include group dialogue, writing prompts, and developing
a new piece.
FINDING YOUR SUBJECT AND YOUR AUTHORITY
IN NONFICTION KATE LEBO
Intermediate | This is a class about strategies writers use to discover their subjects Six sessions
and develop their authority while not-knowing, and how this essential risk can lead Wednesdays, May 5–June 9
to greater vulnerability, complexity, and artistic surprise. We’ll read a lot—whole 7:10–9:10 pm
books by Rebecca Brown, Helen Garner, and Margot Jefferson. We’ll study the General: $305 | Member: $275
ways nonfiction becomes larger than what it’s “about.” Then we’ll find our own
subjects via multiple kinds of research and self-interrogation. Each student’s weekly
NONFICTION
writing will culminate in a finished essay.
THE NEXT-LEVEL MICRO ESSAY ANNA VODICKA
Intermediate/Advanced | This course operates as an extension of Anna’s original Six sessions
Micro Essay class—a dynamic study in techniques, with readings, prompts, and Wednesdays, May 5–June 9
discussion of your own work, which you’ll generate in and out of class. Using the 5–7 pm
foundations of The Micro Essay, we’ll move toward a deeper understanding of flash General: $305 | Member: $275
nonfiction craft while practicing a variety of forms: lyric short-shorts, the micro
polemic, collage, ekphrasis, and more. Prerequisite: The Micro Essay (or equivalent)
& a note to the instructor including one micro essay.
ENVIRONMENTAL WRITING:
NARRATING THE NATURAL WORLD ANNA CLARK
All Levels | Our shared earth is rich with stories. This class explores ways of chron- One session
icling it, from fervent attention to species not our own to the largest questions of Saturday, May 8
climate change and environmental justice. We’ll engage with writers such as John 10 am–1 pm
Steinbeck, Rachel Carson, Aldo Leopold, John McPhee, Robin Wall Kimmerer, General: $150 | Member: $135
Elizabeth Rush, Camille T. Dungy, and Carolyn Finney. We’ll consider how writ-
ing about “the environment” and “the city” are not separate practices. We’ll discuss
precision, complexity, scope, empathy, testimony, and even humor. Participants
will receive a Dropbox folder of environmental writing resources.
12POETRY
tiered classes
POETRY II SHARON BRYAN
Poetry II will focus on developing aspects of craft that will help you close the gap Eight sessions
between what’s in your head and what’s on the page. We’ll look at a wide range Tuesdays, April 13–June 1
of published poems and excerpts from craft books. When we discuss your poems 1:10–3:10 pm
we’ll look for clues about moving them to the next draft. And finally, we’ll work to General: $395 | Member: $355
broaden and articulate our sense of what makes a good poem.
POETRY II (ASYNCHRONOUS) MICHELLE PEÑALOZA
This class will build upon craft learned in Poetry I. Through more intensive Eight sessions
readings, prompts, discussions, and workshops of your poems, we will April 7–May 26
further develop our poetic technique. While Poetry I is aimed at introducing you Online via Wet Ink
to the vast creative toolbox available to any poet, the goal of Poetry II is to explore General: $395 | Member: $355
in more detail those craft elements that are most often at play in your own growing
body of work. This class takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and
sessions can be done at your own pace throughout the week.
POETRY III JEANINE WALKER
POETRY
In examining the rhetoric of contemporary published poets, we learn new Eight sessions
techniques to apply to our own work. We’ll read and study, among others, Wednesdays, April 7–June 9
Jericho Brown, Farnoosh Fathi, and Hayan Charara. Building on a foundation 10 am–12 pm
of craft elements, we’ll practice generative writing exercises to produce new General: $480 | Member: $432
poems. Students will participate in a supportive workshop in which their work is
appreciated for what it is and where they are creatively encouraged to grow.
general
ASSEMBLING A CHAPBOOK FOR PUBLICATION LISA GLUSKIN STONESTREET
Intermediate/Advanced | In this workshop, you’ll put together a chapbook manu- Six sessions
script to submit to publishers or self-publish. We’ll explore structural and stylistic Thursdays, April 8–May 20
possibilities, how chapbooks differ from full-length collections, and techniques [No class May 13]
for writing with a series or larger project in mind. Next we’ll discuss two award- 7:10–9:10 pm
winning chapbooks (which you’re encouraged to read in advance); practice hands- General: $305 | Member: $275
on structuring, ordering, and titling exercises; and bring what you’ve learned to
create a manuscript of 8–24 pages.
WRITING POEMS ON ILLNESS, TRAUMA & HEALING SUZANNE EDISON
All Levels | The body is the repository for our experiences of illness and trauma. We Six sessions
will focus on body awareness, thoughts and experiences, and poetic craft: images, Thursdays, April 8–May 13
syntax, narrative, and forms, to transform experiences of illness and trauma into art. 5–7 pm
Readings will include Lucia Perillo, Nick Flynn, Lucille Clifton, Rafael Campo, General: $305 | Member: $275
and others. Each week we read, discuss, and write from class prompts. Time will be
spent workshopping student poems. A syllabus will be sent out before class begins.
13TEXTURE & THE TEXT EMILY SKILLINGS
All Levels | Can thought have a texture? How about a feeling, a day, or a dream? In One session
A Thousand Plateaus (1980) philosophers Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari talk Saturday, April 10
about space/territory as either being smooth or striated (as in muscle). Is your writ- 10 am–1 pm
ing smooth or striated? If it were a textile, would it be a patchwork, a smooth bolt General: $90 | Member: $81
of silk, or something intricately embroidered? In this generative workshop, poet
Emily Skillings will lead participants through a selection of readings and writing
prompts that engage different explorations of texture and its relationship to gram-
mar, form, pleasure, image, and memory.
WRITING WITH ELIZABETH BISHOP AND OTHERS CAROLYNE WRIGHT
All Levels | “I don’t like teaching,” was how Elizabeth Bishop began her legend- Eight sessions
ary workshops at the University of Washington, “but we’ll practice a most use- Saturdays, April 10–May 29
ful poetic strategy—writing in form.” In this workshop modeled on her example, 10 am–12 pm
we’ll read poems by Bishop, Hacker, Salter, Stallings, and younger neo-Formalists; General: $395 | Member: $355
explore how form helps poets achieve surprising leaps in their language; discuss
received forms like pantoum, sestina, sonnet, triolet, and villanelle; nonce forms
like anaphora and abecedarian; and write our own poems in form.
CRAFT ELEMENTS IN POETRY:
IMAGE, SOUND, SYNTAX, AND THE LINE GABRIELLE BATES
POETRY
All Levels | In this course, we will focus on four particular craft elements—image, Six sessions
sound, syntax, and the line—in order to expand our knowledge of how poets Sundays, April 11–May 16
transmit thought and feeling through language. After our introductory meeting, 1:10–3:10 pm
each week will focus on one particular element, diving deep into exemplary poems, General: $305 | Member: $275
then practicing the moves ourselves through a series of prompts.
CREATING YOUR BOOK-LENGTH MANUSCRIPT:
THEME, ORDER, AND REVISION JUDITH SKILLMAN
Intermediate | We will explore the recurring images and motifs in your poems Eight sessions
toward the development of a chapbook or book-length manuscript. Order is more Mondays, April 12–June 7
than merely a device or afterthought of one’s work. The instructor will provide ex- [No class May 31]
ercises and strategies to find umbrella themes, write new material, develop existing 7:10–9:10 pm
personae, and delete chaff, with the goal of finding your unique voice. We’ll utilize General: $395 | Member: $355
peer review, and study collections by your favorite poets. Bring forty to fifty pages,
including previously published poems.
REVISION PRACTICE FOR POETS ELIZABETH AUSTEN
Intermediate | Through in-class discussion and exercises, take-home assignments Eight sessions
and reading, we’ll spend the first five weeks building craft skills including figurative Thursdays, April 15–June 10
language, music, diction, and the line. We’ll lean on and learn from the work of [No class May 6]
writers including Yusef Komunyakaa, Aracelis Girmay, Ellen Bass, Alice Oswald, 7:10–9:10 pm
and Li-Young Lee. The final three weeks will focus on revision strategies and work- General: $395 | Member: $355
shopping participants’ poems. You’ll leave with new tools to ignite and sustain fu-
ture poems, and a clearer sense of your own process.
14REVISION BY POETRY’S PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS KIM STAFFORD
Intermediate | Title, first line, line break, voiced cadence, word-field, the turn . . . the One session
opportunity for special effects is present in the decisions a writer makes with each Friday, April 16
element. All are at work no matter how long or short the poem may be, or what 9 am–4 pm
kind of poem it is—haiku to lyric to epic. Bring your three most promising poems- General: $180 | Member: $162
in-process, and we will work through ways to make them more like what they want
to be. This will not be a critique session, but a workshop in generative revision.
THE POEMS ONLY YOU CAN WRITE LISA GLUSKIN STONESTREET
All Levels | The most powerful poems are sui generis—and each of us has aspects of One session
our work that are like no one else’s. We’ll work together to explore and expand the Saturday, April 17
terrain of our work, through the lenses of our personal aesthetic(s) and obsessions. 10 am–1 pm
We’ll practice multiple ways of using these factors to inspire new directions, General: $90 | Member: $81
generate new work, offer more productive and authentic feedback, and ultimately
help you generate the compelling, distinctive poems that only you can write.
FIND YOUR FEET: THE METRICAL FOOT IN POETRY RENA PRIEST
All Levels | “Meter has been called the heartbeat of poetry,” Paul Kiparsky wrote. One session
“But like language itself, and music and dance, it pulsates more intricately than Saturday, April 17
anything in the biological or physical world.” Controlling meter allows you to 1:10–4:10 pm
build tension to ecstatic release, deep dive into sober solemnity, or gently lay an General: $90 | Member: $81
POETRY
epiphany on the brow of your reader. We’ll examine stress, pitch, length, and other
features of speech to see how they affect the feel and sound of particular works.
REMIX: MAKING POEMS NEW DAMARIS B. HILL
Intermediate | Do you have a dead poem? A piece of poem that seems flat and does One session
not seem to meet your expectations of beauty or craft? Don’t throw that poem out; Sunday, April 18
remix it. In this workshop, we will discuss how to manipulate the genre constraints 10 am–1 pm
of poetry in order to create new writing from old work. General: $150 | Member: $135
MOVEMENTS AND MOMENTS (ASYNCHRONOUS) AIMEE SUZARA
All Levels | What is poetry as social action? We’ll read and discuss works Six sessions
by poets of diverse backgrounds, heavily BIPOC, challenging the “canon” April 20–May 25
and forging the path for other writers. We’ll discuss poetry from the Harlem Online via Wet Ink
Renaissance, the Black Arts Movement, poems about immigration, poetry by Native General: $305 | Member: $275
American and Pacific Islander writers, and more; then we’ll write poems inspired by
the readings. Poets may include Lucille Clifton, Haunani Kay-Trask, Patricia Smith,
Heid Erdrich, Barbara Reyes, Ocean Vuong, and others. This class takes place on
Wet Ink, and sessions can be done at your own pace throughout the week.
EARTH VERSE: WRITING FOR THE EARTH KIM STAFFORD
All Levels | When trouble comes in the human world, there may be a One session
story from the wild that can offer consolation. From the Gnomic Verses Thursday, April 22
in Old English to the Tao te Ching and the works of Dorothy Wordsworth, Emily 9 am–4 pm
Dickinson, and Mary Oliver, we have cherished lyric remedies speaking the language General: $180 | Member: $162
of earth. In this class, we will harvest close observations from your landscapes and
compose an archive of blessings, consolations, and manifestos for use as need comes.
15WRITING ALONGSIDE LOCAL POETS:
CHOI, MANGOLD, WONG, AND ZAHER DEBORAH WOODARD
All Levels | We’ll read and write poems inspired by the work of four contemporary Six sessions
poets particularly concerned with community and exile; self and world; wounds Saturdays, April 24–May 29
and resilience. Weekly prompts and read-arounds of participants’ poems. Feedback 1:10–3:10 pm
from instructor. Required Texts: DMZ Colony by Don Mee Choi (Wave Books, General: $305 | Member: $275
2020); Giraffes of Devotion by Sarah Mangold (Kore Press, 2016); Over Pour by
Jane Wong (Action Books, 2016); and The Consequences of my Body by Maged
Zaher (Nightboat Books, 2016).
WRITING THE SELF SACRED & PROFANE LEAH SILVIEUS
All Levels | With poets such as Eric Tran, Jericho Brown, Vandana Khanna, and One session
Essy Stone serving as our guiding lights, this generative poetry workshop explores Sunday, April 25
how “the sacred” and “the profane” can provide entryways into thinking about 10 am–1 pm
our identities, our relationships to each other and to the divine or supernatural General: $90 | Member: $81
(however one conceives of them). I will provide linked writing prompts that will
culminate into a poem draft that explores the relationship between the sacred and
profane within our own poetic imaginations.
POINT OF VIEW IN POEMS SHARON BRYAN
Intermediate | Every story has a teller. Every poem has a speaker and a point of Four sessions
POETRY
view: first person, second person, or third person. First person uses I, second per- Wednesdays, May 5–May 26
son uses you (one other person, the self, a crowd), and third person speaks as a 5–7 pm
more distant narrator. We’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of each one, General: $240 | Member: $216
discuss examples, and watch what happens to poems of your own when you revise
them by changing from one point of view to another.
ASSEMBLING THE MANUSCRIPT TESS TAYLOR
Advanced | As poets, how do we put books together? What does it mean to move Six sessions
from writing good poems to weaving and assembling an entire book? How do Wednesdays, May 5–June 9
poets listen to the specific calls of the muse toward disparate verses and also keep 5–7 pm
an eye on the wider shape of a possible emergent volume? If you have poems but General: $305 | Member: $275
don’t know how to find the book inside them, this class is for you. We will read
several collections to understand their logics of assembly, do strategic writing to fill
out our collections, generate new material, edit what we have, and collect strategies
for aligning our own poems.
FORMS OF POETRY LISA WELLS
All Levels | Each week students will read, write, and discuss a different poetic form. Six sessions
In an effort to embody each form, students will also select a short poem from the Thursdays, May 6–June 10
readings each week to memorize and recite at the following class. Forms will be 1:10–3:10 pm
both traditional and experimental and may include: the sonnet, the pantoum, the General: $305 | Member: $275
haiku, lipogram, nonce, and others.
16ENTRANCES, EXITS, AND DOORWAYS SARA BRICKMAN
May 15 — Entrances: Titles & First Lines Saturdays, May 15–29
All Levels | A good title and a strong first line determine whether your reader will 1:10–4:10 pm
continue reading or move on to another poem. An unforgettable first line changes General: $90 | Member: $81*
the whole tenor of your poem, but they are notoriously hard to write. Titles are
even more mysterious. In this generative class, you’ll learn and practice five different *Per each session.
techniques for opening a poem: The Run On, The Confession, The Fairytale, The Participants can enroll in one,
Time Machine, and The Confrontation. With practice, you’ll hone your intuition some, or all of the sessions.
and courage to leave the blank page behind and write first lines that grab your reader
and won’t let go. Bring one or two poems-in-progress that need a stronger opening
or a shiny new title.
May 22 — Exits: Writing Endings
All Levels | The poet Rachel McKibbens says, “Poems don’t end, they just stop.” The
best endings leave us reeling, the tops of our heads blown off by knowledge we didn’t
know we needed, reverberating long after the words have finished and we’ve turned
the page. But how do we know when a poem is done? In this class, you’ll learn five
techniques for ending a poem. Learn how to Slam the Door, Sing the House Down,
Jump Out the Window, and more. Bring one or two poems-in-progress that you
don’t know how to end.
May 29 — Doorways: Writing Poetic Turns & Hinges
POETRY
All Levels | No poem is complete without a moment of surprise or transformation.
But how do you write without knowing what you’re writing? In this class, you’ll
practice building doorways, tunnels, and hinges. We’ll use meditative techniques
and experiments to help you uncover the hidden possibilities in each stanza, and
generate material using strategies like The Leap, The Volta, The Trap Door, The Bull-
dozer, and Breaking the Fourth Wall. You’ll leave with renewed trust in yourself, and
a deeper understanding of how to build moments that make a poem extraordinary.
Bring one or two poems-in-progress that feel flat, confusing, or just too simple.
DERIVED POETRY & ITS (DE)FORMS WRYLY MCCUTCHEN
All Levels | In this course we’ll dig up, corrupt, and de-arrange existing texts Two sessions
through forms like the glossa and Terrance Hayes’s The Golden Shovel. We’ll also Saturdays, June 5 & 12
experiment with erasures and collage. Together, we’ll look at the approaches and 1:10–3:10 pm
forms used by Amber Dawn, Srikanth Reddy, and Isobel O’Hare. Our first session General: $120 | Member: $108
will be largely generative. Session two will begin with a discussion of plagiarism
and recognition. Class will conclude with opportunities for students to share and
receive feedback on their derived works.
LINEATION ELATION DILRUBA AHMED
All Levels | This hands-on session will leave you singing the praises of lineation! Three sessions
Explore a “toolkit” of strategies that will help you lineate your poems with Tuesdays, June 1–15
confidence and expression. We’ll discuss how lineation choices can have an impact 1:10–3:10 pm
on tone, meaning, emphasis, pacing, surprise, and more. Students can expect to General: $180 | Member: $162
lineate the work of others—and their own!—using a variety of approaches, to
create various effects. Bring 2–3 draft poems to class (ideally about 8–10 lines
long) for experimentation.
17MIXED GENRE
WRITING RIVETING SENTENCES JOSHUA MARIE WILKINSON
All Levels | In this course, students will learn how to write suspenseful dialogue, Six sessions
riveting exposition, and descriptive detail that will keep your reader turning pages. Mondays, April 5–May 10
Every week will feature a seminar-style discussion of what makes each craft element 5–7 pm
click, and these will be paired with student writing exercises. We’ll discuss short General: $305 | Member: $275
examples of student work as a class to highlight new and surprising approaches.
WRITING QUEERLY SARA BRICKMAN
All Levels | Queer writers forced outside the margins have learned to write outside Eight sessions
the margins: inventing new forms, language, new names for the world around us. Mondays, April 5–May 24
In this generative workshop, students will trace the lineages and poetic strategies of 5–7 pm
queer writers from Sappho, Whitman, Audre Lorde, and James Baldwin to Maggie General: $395 | Member: $355
Nelson, sam sax, Carmen Maria Machado, and Jericho Brown. Then we’ll write
our own words to honor the weird, the sexy, the rough, and the majestic. Expect
a supportive peer community, detailed feedback from the instructor, and the op-
portunity to write what you’re afraid to write. Students of all identities welcome.
MIXED GENRE
WRITING A WORLD OF WONDERS GABRIELA DENISE FRANK
All Levels | Aimee Nezhukumatathil describes wonder as surprise—when one’s Six sessions
curiosity is, “confronted with something unfamiliar or unexpected and that sense Tuesdays, April 6–May 11
of curiosity turns into joy and excitement.” We will immerse ourselves in her book 5–7 pm
World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, General: $305 | Member: $275
then generate our own wonder-fueled writing from in-class prompts and exercises.
Poets and prose writers welcome. Students will leave with a collection of inspired
new work and the option for an instructor conference.
OUT OF THE BLUE, A METEORITE:
WRITING WITH SOUTH ASIAN BHAKTI POETRY SHANKAR NARAYAN
All Levels | South Asian bhakti poetry has been described as “the breath-catching Six sessions
moment when self speaks to self more directly than you ever thought possible.” Tuesdays, April 6–May 11
This centuries-old movement of devotional poetry finds the divine in the beloved, 7:10–9:10 pm
resulting in some of the most ecstatic words ever written. In this part-generative, General: $305 | Member: $275
part-analytical course, we’ll examine the diverse voices of centuries of bhakts
of all genders and spark our own thrilling, electric pieces. All levels and genres
welcome—come ready to write!
UNPACKING THE VASTNESS OF MASCULINITY NAA AKUA
All Levels | We’ll discuss masculine identity through the lens of a queer perspective, Four sessions
using excerpts from Stone Butch Blues, 100 Crushes, Blues Divine, Insubordinate, Wednesdays, April 7–28
Pansy, & More Black, and Nightsong in addition to social media and pop culture 5–7 pm
references. We will interrogate toxic masculinity and our own defining journey General: $240 | Member: $216
through the literary form of poetry, nonfiction, and short fiction.
18You can also read
