Writing About Place

What does it mean to write about a particular place? Why does a story need to take place in Paris, and not in Boston or Dubai? How does a place shape a story, and how does a story reflect a place? In this ten-week course, we will consider these questions as we read authors such as Terry Tempest Williams, Pico Iyer, Annie Dillard, and John Elder. We’ll start with, and then look beyond, descriptive language to examine the social, historical and/or political implications of place-based writing. Class time will include reading discussion, writing prompts, field trips, and workshops. Students will have the opportunity to work on a course-long project about one particular place, or to workshop pieces on various places.

NOTE: Class will not meet on Columbus Day (Oct. 9th). 

Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee's decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.