Writing Autofiction

Class Description

This class will explore autobiographical writing through various genres, showing how form relates to content. Students will share their personal histories via memoir, fiction, and journaling, discovering new aspects of their stories and ways of relating them. Depending on the size of the class, students will have several opportunities to workshop their work and receive in-class feedback from their peers. Workshopping will be an integral part of the class and supplemented by craft lectures, writing exercises and readings. Some of the readings explored will include but aren't limited to This Boy's Life, The Bell Jar, and Kafka's diaries, as well as works that incorporate facets of each such as W.G. Sebald's Austerlitz and Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle. Writing exercises will help students experiment with different genres. By the end of the class, each student will have drafted and/or completed at least one piece based on personal experience.

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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.