Writing the Menstrual Cycle

Menstruation impacts nearly half of the population, yet there's a persistent silence around it, both in daily life and on the page. Even as writing about many other realities of the body has become commonplace, menstruation tends to remain tethered to shame, even disgust. This class is focused on breaking the silence around menstruation, to help writers of all genres tell stories around this extremely ordinary, yet quite powerful, part of the human experience. After reading excerpts from menstrual advocates such as Gloria Steinum, Joan Chrisler, and Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, We’ll have a short discussion about the history behind the silence, the impact of this silence on those who menstruate and why it needs to be broken, as well as writing prompts to get you started.

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.