Developing Your Personal Essay

This workshop is designed for essay writers who are already working on personal essay projects and want to receive feedback in a supportive and constructively critical environment. The class will include in-depth workshops of student writing, discussions on the art and craft of the personal essay, and readings of exemplary works in the genre, including but not limited to pieces by Kiese Laymon, Melissa Febos, Gabrielle Hamilton, Matthew Salesses, Yiyun Li, Doug Crandell, and more. In-class writing prompts will allow students to try their hand at different elements of personal essay writing. Over the course of the class, each student will submit one piece and receive written and verbal feedback.

Note: Since the content of personal essays often reflect intimate issues, controversial views, and real-life situations, we will ensure that conversations around the work and its content takes place in a safe, supportive, and respectful space.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.