Hot Stories and Reggaeton

Class Description

Hot Stories is a nonfiction writing workshop with a lot of dembow! We are going to write nonfiction stories and listen to reggaeton by Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Lady Ann, El Chombo and more, to trigger what makes a story you can't forget because of the rhythm, the energy, or even the use of language that can be playful and (kindly) controversial. We will also analyze nonfiction stories by William Finnegan (who wrote a memoir about surf and beach), Luis Costa & Christian Len (authors of a history of the nightclubs in Ibiza), Suzy Expósito (as in her profile of Bad Bunny), Gabriela Wiener (author of Sexographies, a collection of crónicas), Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (who has a perspective on latinx culture)– writers whose prose will equally inspire and inform us. As a class, we will learn how to identify a good story for reportage and discuss how to write it by building scenes, elaborating experiences, tuning details, and identifying turning-point moments. Write like you can't stop.

Class Format

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!

Scholarship Information

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.