Class Description
In a time of political upheaval, amidst a media landscape saturated with ever-updating news feeds, deeply imagined narratives of individual lives are more important than ever. In this one-day seminar, we will explore on the craft considerations in creating fiction that gives a human face to the charged political debates of this moment in history. How does the writer depict the realities of place and time while maintaining allegiance to the desires and complexities of individual characters? How do we convey strongly held beliefs without becoming didactic and boring? We will analyze excerpts from authors ranging from Isaac Babel to Junot Diaz, Toni Morrison to Merce Rodoreda, reading as writers and isolating techniques for use in our own work, which we will practice through a series of writing exercises. By the end of the day, you will have an enhanced tool box for shaping fiction that engages with the pressing issues of our time.
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!