Pillow Book: Journaling to Inspire

In 10th century Japan, Sei Shonagon maintained her pillow book, a collection of lists, poems, and stories. Today, the pillow book gives us a window into the life of this perceptive, funny woman; and the entries, with titles like “Things that just keep passing by,” and “Situations you have a feeling will turn out badly” which can be read as modern flash prose or jumping off points for longer works.

In this 3-hour seminar, you’ll learn about Sei Shonagon’s life and writing, and will create some pillow book-style journal entries of your own. You’ll leave with tools you can apply to transform your own journal from "Dear Diary" into a generator of new fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

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.