Class Description
Much of the work of writing an essay collection is in figuring out which pieces of your writing belong in the book, which do not, and why. In essence, this is the work of determining the central thread or theme of the book, and then creating branches off of that through the included essays. Essays need to stand alone, yet are often in conversation with each other as well. It is a challenging and unique task, but one you are capable of achieving!
This workshop is designed for experienced writers working on a book-length personal essay collection of any kind—from a memoir in essays to a more loosely connected collection of work. Together, we’ll support one another in deepening works-in-progress, experimenting with form, voice, and structure, and refining the craft at a high level. Through prompts, exercises, readings, and conversation, you’ll develop new ways of thinking about your essays and fresh strategies for revision.
Each writer will be workshopped at least twice during the course of our 10 weeks of class. Each submission will be a pairing or small group (to a limited page length) of essays which are in conversations with each other. Students will receive in-depth feedback from both classmates and the instructor. Our discussions will focus not only on what’s working, but also on the specific questions and goals each writer brings to the table. You’ll have the opportunity to shape the direction of your workshop—identifying the type of feedback you most need with each submission.
Alongside workshop discussions, we’ll read essays from writers who may include Aimee Nezhukumatathi, Roxane Gay, and George M. Johnson—studying how they push the boundaries of voice, structure, and narrative meaning.
With a small group limited to just nine students, this workshop offers a close-knit, rigorous, and supportive space for writers ready to make real progress on their book-length projects. This course is open to those who have previously taken essay or narrative nonfiction workshops at GrubStreet or elsewhere.
Important dates: The application deadline for this class is Wednesday, September 2nd. All applicants can expect to hear back within one week of the application deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed and will not receive a response. The payment deadline for admitted students is Wednesday, September 16th.
Please Note: Class does not meet Tuesday, November 10th.
Writing Roadmap: We've created a simple, goal-based writing roadmap to help you find the perfect GrubStreet course for your writing needs.
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. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.