Class Description
Have you ever wanted to uncover the story behind your family's silences and secrets? Ever longed to fill holes in overheard rumors and cryptic tales? As creative nonfiction writers and gossip lovers of all kinds, what do we do when we try to tell a story but the story runs out? And what do we do when the gap becomes so large that it forces us to question our genre choices? In this seminar, we'll discuss how to use personal narrative amidst imagined scenes and fictionalized moments to address "gaps" in history. Reading and writing exercises will help us turn what might, at first glance, seem like a limitation into a source of possibility. We'll examine specific examples from authors like Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich, Loung Ung, and Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich, and we'll also share specific tips and prompts for advancing narratives while engaging daringly with the complex boundaries of genre. Feel free to bring a short excerpt of your writing, and we’ll discuss how you might utilize imagination to address gaps in your narrative. Writers of all levels welcome.
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!