Class Description
This past summer at the Juniper Institute, Terrance Hayes made a proposition: that we start writing about utopia instead of focusing on dystopia. With all of the negative information circulating the news cycles, it can be so tempting to turn on Westworld and Black Mirror or reopen that dystopian novel you've been working on. Trust me, I'm doing that every day in order to escape, in order to say "well at least things aren't that bad." But some might argue that we already live in a dystopia--politically, environmentally, etc. This short class will offer a type of escapism through a different medium. Bianca Stone says, perhaps "our obsession with dystopian, Hunger-Games narratives, is the truth that we crave a chance to rebuild." Through generative exercises that include visuals, audio, and movement, we will rebuild. Rather than get bogged down by present-day media and news, we’ll take some time to celebrate each other and the community we share. Perhaps this energy and inspiration will help equip us to make lasting change in our home communities.
Takeaways
By the end of this class, you'll walk away with at least a complete outline if not a first draft of a poem, a short story, or a personal essay that celebrates the utopia of the everyday. You'll also leave with a trove of new activities and exercises you can use when looking for inspiration. And last but not least, you'll have a group of likeminded peers to connect with after the class is over.
Who Should Register?
For high school writers age 13 - 18 ONLY. Writing notebooks will be available, but feel free to bring your own.
*If you are registering on behalf of your teen, add their email information in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen before you check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet.
(After adding the class to your cart, click "Checkout" and click “Add” next to “For a Friend or Child?” on the right-hand side to fill in their email. This is an easy way of linking the class to your child and encourages them to create their own account.)
Parents/guardians must also complete this permission form online if your teen is under 18. **Note: unlike previous forms, you only need to fill this out ONE TIME, not for every class. If you cannot remember whether you have already filled it out, please email [email protected] and we can check for you!
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. Please visit the Resources tab to access the video-conference link.
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!