6 Weeks, 3 Essays

Class Description

Sometimes the smallest moment (or the shortest essay) holds the greatest revelation. But when it comes to writing our own lives, it can be difficult to know where to begin. This course is for writers who are ready to produce new essays, but need the inspiration and accountability to get started. In this course, you will have one goal: to write and develop three essay drafts in the space of six weeks.

Each week, we’ll explore a different topic or theme to inspire our work, reading published examples from authors like, but not limited to,Aleksander Hemon, Sei Shonagon, Marion Winik, Bassey Ikpi, Brenda Miller, Yiyun Li, Tiffany Briere, Lidia Yuknavitch, James Baldwin, Jo Ann Beard, and Dinah Lenney, and studying the craft behind them. We’ll put the tools we learn into practice through a weekly writing prompt. You’ll also have the opportunity to share all three drafts and one revision for feedback from the instructor and your fellow writers. During the class, you will write three essay drafts, for which you will receive brief, descriptive feedback to help you identify the themes and strengths of that essay. At the end of the class, you will submit a revised version of one of them for a more comprehensive workshop from the rest of the class.

You will come out of the course with three news drafts, and at least one polished revision, as well as the insight and inspiration to continue writing and revising.

Class Format

This is an Online: On-Demand class that will take place on our asynchronous online learning platform, Wet.Ink. Weekly lessons and assignments open each Wednesday. Students will receive an invitation to Wet Ink before 5pm on the first day of class! All video lectures for Online: On-Demand courses have closed captioning available. To enable, click "cc" on the toolbar of each video lecture.

*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Weekly lessons and assignments open each Wednesday. Students will receive an invitation to Wet Ink, our online class platform, before 5pm on the first day of class.

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.