Nonfiction

Everyone has a story, but not everyone knows how to tell that story. Enter the personal essay, the perfect scaffolding to help share everything from a memorable encounter on a high-speed train to the time your mother revealed a family secret while carving the Thanksgiving turkey... more

This class provides a “literary laboratory” for experienced nonfiction writers to workshop their writing, advance their craft, delve deeply into their themes, take risks, and tackle the all-important revision process... more

In this remote class you will plunge into the personal themes that make your real life stories uniquely yours. In the first half of this class, instructor Alison Luterman will give you writing exercises carefully designed to elicit the undertones and overtones that elevate events and anecdotes into the realm of art... more

“The nonfictional nature of memoir and essay writing often comes into conflict with the nature of memory,” says instructor Rob Williams. “How do we keep our pact with the reader, to honor the truth of our story, when we may not be able to recall all of the details or even dialogue... more

“Writing memoir is like being a miner, shining a light into the nooks and crannies of our lives,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “We think we know what we'll find, but we're often surprised by the depth and complexity we uncover... more

Instructor Rob Williams says, “I love being wowed by a short piece of writing, something that may take only three to five minutes to read, but in its brevity is still rich with candor, humor, or heartbreak, and leaves me thinking about it long after I’ve read the last sentence... more

“Have you always wanted to write but are stumped by the way to tell your own story?” asks instructor Jennifer Lewis. “In this remote class, by exploring different types of creative nonfiction, you will find the unique way to bring your story to life”... more

At its best, travel transports and transforms us. It makes us pay attention, and leaving home—and our comfort zone—carves out space for new insight. Think of a memorable trip that you’ve taken. What longing or ambition or heartbreak set you in motion? Did you stumble on a new understanding of the world or your place in it... more

Instructor Katharine Harer says, “Believable characters are an essential element of memoir and personal essays. Living, breathing characters deepen the possibility of human connection. Without fleshed-out characters, it doesn’t matter how exciting your plot or how dazzling your writing style – you’ll still leave a reader wanting more... more

In this 5-week process class we will dissect the intricate concepts of how emotions are developed in fiction and creative nonfiction, and master how to recognize and apply narrative craft that develop dramatic emotions in ways that can move our readers... more