More than Words: The Art of Crafting Lists

A good list is effective because it is selective! In this session, we’ll investigate the ways lists in their many forms can establish a point of view (perspective), generate power, add depth to a character or the “I” of an essay, and help develop abstract ideas, feelings, and subjects in a piece of nonfiction writing. We'll look at examples of some of literature’s greatest lists to understand how they evoke a complex response in a reader through word choice, order, length, detail, rhythm, omission, and careful curation. Writers that may be discussed include: Sandra Cisneros, Joan Didion, Joe Brainard, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Victoria Chang, Sei Shōnagon, Maggie Nelson, Kiese Laymon and Javier Zamora.

This workshop offers an opportunity to engage in the art of list-making in nonfiction and creative nonfiction, and we will spend time with writing exercises to help stimulate lists you can employ in your own writing. 

Class Format

This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood.

Covid-19 Update:

GrubStreet's space will be mask optional when Boston's Covid-19 Community Level is low or medium. When the Covid-19 Community Level is high, our space will require masks. Please check GrubStreet's Covid-19 page for the latest info on masking and Community Levels before visiting in-person.