In this class we will read and write texts outside of binaries of form, namely poetry vs. prose. We will ask what makes something poetry/prose and how we defy the conventions in service of more thoughtful writing. How can we approach lyricism in prose? Where can we find space and narrative in poetry? How do we engage with, subvert, and employ form to our advantage?
Readings include: Tarjei Vessas, Cristina Rivera Garza, and others.
Dates: Thursdays 6-8 PM at Bookends in Florence. Aug 31, September 14, 21, 28. Will not meet Sept 7.
In this class we will write in response to art/media and discuss writing which evokes and references other art/media. Why reference other art? What is gained or arguably lost?
Readings include: Tove Jansson, Vergil, Jenny George.
Dates: Wednesdays 6-8 PM online. September 6, 13, 20, 27.
This class will focus on the (alleged) first canonically gay gothic romance novel, Gaywyck by Vincent Virga. Gaywyck, first published 1980, is an intentional hodgepodge of gothic references made in service of a gay romance set at a “mysterious ancestral mansion on Long Island.” We will use Gaywyck and its reference points (namely Jane Eyre) as a backdrop for broader discussions of genre, referentiality, ekphrasis, and queer literature.
This class is not a workshop.
Dates: Tuesdays 7-9 PM online. September 5, 12, 19, 26.
I am currently teaching four-week writing workshops that meet once a week for two hours. Classes are capped at nine students.
The structure does not differ between remote/in-person classes.
The structure is as follows:
Week One. Introduction, class policies, generative writing exercises, assigning of workshops.
Weeks Two through Four. 15 minute generative exercise, 45 minute discussion of reading and/or craft talk, three 20-minute workshops.
Students should be prepared to read 2-3 manuscripts each week for class, in addition to (optional) readings for discussion.
You'll be responsible for writing line comments and a short (2-3 paragraph) letter to each person who is being workshopped, and for participating in workshop discussion.
The cost of class is sliding scale $85-135, with a non-refundable deposit of $35 due on registration.
Grief and ecology (Picnic at Hanging Rock & The Peregrine)
Topics in Gay Gothic Sensibility
GGS: overview of faggot forefathers
GGS: Jane Eyre and its mimetics
GGS: Mid-century American gay gothic writing
GGS: Denton Welch
GGS: Bowleses