Unflinching Nonfiction: Writing Our Worst Experiences

Class Description

As writers and artists, our worst experiences can be generative: humiliations, betrayals, tragedies, and traumas have always been the subjects of great art. The hardest stories can be the most important ones to tell honestly, as a service to others who may share similar histories. This class is designed as a supportive space for students of all levels and backgrounds to write essays, memoir, or literary journalism about challenging experiences. In addition to workshopping student writing, we will read essays and memoir excerpts that offer strategies for shaping and containing a difficult story, by writers who may include David Carr, Eliese Colette Goldbach, Kiese Laymon, and Esmé Weijun Wang. For those who want to fill gaps in their memories by reporting on their own lives, we’ll also discuss the skills, strategies, and ethical considerations that guide journalists who write about trauma and tragedy. Students will exit this class with multiple original pieces of writing—or multiple chapters of a longer work—as well as a range of strategies for gaining narrative mastery over the stories that are hardest to tell.

Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee's decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.