Class Description
For writers of fiction and nonfiction alike, this workshop will investigate the notion of place and how environments can shape, guide, and pull against a narrative. Rather than setting being an afterthought, a checkbox on a revision to-do list, we will consider place as the central pillar to storytelling, a visual storyscape that provides access to the emotional undercurrents of narrative and character. As writer Rebecca Solnit said, “A sense of place is the sixth sense, an internal compass and map made by memory and spatial perception together.” Our goal is to explore the terrain of this sixth sense, unearthing the intersection of perception and memory in the physical world of our prose. And our goal is to inhabit places—both fictive and real—to the extent that our minds can see, touch, and smell the very fibers, thereby inviting prose that feels authentic. We will pour over noteworthy examples before responding to a series of prompts that utilize both memory and images. The class will meet on Wednesday afternoons for four consecutive weeks, include small-group workshops, and culminate with a class sharing. You will leave with many seedlings or fragments, several polished short pieces, and a greater understanding of how place can serve as a compass or map in your future narratives.
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.