Class Description
As James Baldwin famously wrote, "People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them".
This class will focus on unveiling personal and historical narratives, allowing us to understand our nonfiction characters and settings more fully by understanding the forces that have shaped their perspectives and experiences. We’ll explore questions like, “How is my personal story situated in the larger context of history? What privileges and injustices laced the settings and narratives of my past?” In answering these questions, we will necessarily dig into archives--of our memories, of recorded history, and of the absences in our collective narratives.
We’ll read personal essay and memoir excerpts from writers like Ingrid Rojas Contreras and Jesmyn Ward, examining how personal narratives are often inseparable from larger histories, communities, and movements. We’ll discuss a wide range of strategies for writing about family, adolescence, and adulthood amidst the places and eras in which we have lived, and we’ll complete several in-class exercises you can continue to build on after class.
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.
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!