Class Description
In homage to Shirley Jackson, who turns 100 in 2016, we’re dedicating an all-day workshop to this American master’s precept that we should “delight in what we fear.” We’ll work on our own ghost stories with a focus on some of Jackson’s signature themes: the haunted house, the “bad” children, the mob mentality, the mind-reader, and the psychological twins of paranoia and hallucination. Using these keys to open the portal between the domestic world and the world of horrors, we will do exercises on gothic elements such as tone, setting, suspense, plot, perspective, and the weird detail. Passages from Jackson’s novels, as well as stories from the newly released collection Let Me Tell You, will form the spine and tingle for our discussion. You will have the opportunity to read and receive feedback on the ghost or horror stories you begin in class. Please come prepared with your notebook, your curiosity, and your proverbial black cat!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.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!