Home & Horror: the Shirley Jackson-Style Ghost Story

In homage to Shirley Jackson, who turns 100 in 2016, we’re dedicating an all-day workshop to this American master’s precept that we should “delight in what we fear.” We’ll work on our own ghost stories with a focus on some of Jackson’s signature themes: the haunted house, the “bad” children, the mob mentality, the mind-reader, and the psychological twins of paranoia and hallucination. Using these keys to open the portal between the domestic world and the world of horrors, we will do exercises on gothic elements such as tone, setting, suspense, plot, perspective, and the weird detail. Passages from Jackson’s novels, as well as stories from the newly released collection Let Me Tell You, will form the spine and tingle for our discussion. You will have the opportunity to read and receive feedback on the ghost or horror stories you begin in class. Please come prepared with your notebook, your curiosity, and your proverbial black cat!