Where the Speculative and the Literary Meet: Re-defining Genre

“Fantasy is a tool of the storyteller,” says Neil Gaiman. Whether it’s a touch of time travel or an interstellar war, “speculative” writing is storytelling that breaks the rules of our world. But it also breaks down genre definitions and builds bestsellers: like N.K. Jemisin using the highly literary second person in her award-winning high fantasy, The Broken Earth trilogy, or Carmen Maria Machado’s In The Dream House incorporating fairytale elements into memoir. Where are these genre lines drawn? And by whom?

Together we’ll explore definitions and examples of speculative and literary writing and how they overlap; the perils of genre gatekeeping; and practice blending speculative and literary styles and tropes to give writers fresh tools for getting to the heart of their stories.

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