Four Thursdays: March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
We carry around a lifetime of memories—suitcases that, for the nonfiction writer, are waiting to be unpacked on the page. How can we create a compelling narrative while honoring loved ones? What are the innovations in construction and voice that have made the personal essay a hotspot in contemporary publishing? The first part of each session will be anchored by readings from the Best American Essays anthology, which will guide our discussion of craft. The second part of each session will be a workshop; students may circulate one draft essay or memoir excerpt of up to 5,000 words for in-class critique. If preferred, the student can submit the work privately to the instructor.
The Best American Essays 2017, edited by Leslie Jamison
Sandra Beasley is the author of Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life (Crown), which People magazine called a “witty, sobering account of living with life-threatening food allergies.” Her prose has appeared in such venues as the New York Times, The Washington Post, Creative Nonfiction, Psychology Today, and The Oxford American. She is the author of three poetry collections, including I Was the Jukebox (W.W. Norton), winner of the Barnard Women Poets Prize. Other honors for her work include a Literature Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts; distinguished writer residencies at Cornell College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and the University of Mississippi; three DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellowships; and the Maureen Egen Exchange Award from Poets & Writers. She is on the faculty of the University of Tampa’s low-residency MFA program, and periodically teaches at The American University.
For more information, visit www.SandraBeasley.com.
REFUND POLICY: Please note that we can issue class refunds up until seven (7) days before the first class session.