Class Description
In this class, we will discuss the ways in which writers turn to the personal essay after experiencing a loss in their lives, and whether these ways are always successful. We will talk about craft - point of view, time, character, structure - as well as the responsibilities writers have when writing about a loss that is not just their own. What do we owe to ourselves when writing about grief and loss; and what do we owe to our loved ones, especially those who have passed away? How do we preserve their dignity and honor while also writing our own truth? What is the goal of writing the essay, and who is it for? And finally, how do we preserve the story without turning it into a product to be consumed?
These are some of the questions we'll explore over the course of 4 weeks. Students will work toward writing and revising a personal essay that will be workshopped in the duration of the class. We will read published personal essays that discuss loss and trauma from writers such as Ross Gay, Nicole Chung, and David Sedaris. This class is meant for students who have experience writing and workshopping creative nonfiction work, especially memoir and narrative personal essays.
This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! 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 via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.
For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:
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.
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.