Class Description
In the introduction to the groundbreaking 1996 anthology In Short, author Bernard Cooper writes that the brief essay form requires “an alertness to detail, a quickening of the senses, a focusing of the literary lens … until one has magnified some small aspect of what it means to be human.” In this seminar, we’ll take a close look at this powerful genre, breaking down the elements of Cooper’s recipe—alertness, quickness, and focus—into clear craft elements. We’ll use the Rose Metal Press Field Guide to Writing Flash Nonfiction as our guide, which offers insights and exercises from some of today’s top flash nonfiction writers. You’ll leave class with a greater understanding of the brief literary essay form, at least two “seeds”/drafts of your own essays, and ideas of where to publish.
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. 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!
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!