Writing the Wilds of Grief

You may have heard that nature has the capacity to hold our sorrow. A walk through a forest is ripe with imagery of the natural cycle of life. The changing seasons show us that nothing lasts forever. How can we writers use nature’s imagery and metaphors to write about the complexities of grief and loss? How do we avoid sending our readers running for the hills because our writing is deemed too sad or too sentimental?

In this class, we’ll take on these questions and practice using nature in our stories about loss and mourning. This class is multi-genre with a focus on creative nonfiction. We will read examples from authors like Grace Loh Prasad, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Michael Flamini , and Aimee Nezhukumatathil.

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.