MEM 117 W — Crafting Resonance: Personal Essay Workshop
Quarter: Summer
Instructor(s): Mike Scalise
Date(s): Jun 22—Aug 31
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Mondays
Class Meeting Time: 6:00—7:00 pm (PT)
Please Note: This course has a different schedule than what was previously published. The course will meet on meet on 10 Mondays, June 22 - August 31, 6:00 - 7:00 pm PT. No class on August 3.
Tuition: $1000
Refund Deadline: Jun 24
Unit(s): 2
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Open
Quarter: Summer
Day: Mondays
Duration: 10 weeks
Time: 6:00—7:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jun 22—Aug 31
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $1000
Refund Deadline: Jun 24
Instructor(s): Mike Scalise
Enrollment Limit: 18
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Open
Please Note: This course has a different schedule than what was previously published. The course will meet on meet on 10 Mondays, June 22 - August 31, 6:00 - 7:00 pm PT. No class on August 3.
Resonant personal essays possess an ephemeral quality, allowing them to transcend the particulars of a single life and speak to readers in a lasting way. This course will teach you how to achieve that effect. For inspiration, we will read personal essays by masterful essayists such as Roxane Gay, Kiese Laymon, and Jo Ann Beard, studying how each develops a distinctive voice and uses structure to shape lived experience. Through writing prompts supported by short lectures and guided workshops, you will practice shaping material from your own life into vivid and memorable scenes, with attention to structure, pacing, and point of view. Everyone will workshop two personal essays of up to 2,000 words for supportive feedback from the group and instructor. You will leave with a stronger grasp of personal essay craft and the ability to create polished, powerful work ready for further development or submission to journals.
MIKE SCALISE
Author
Mike Scalise’s memoir, The Brand New Catastrophe, received the Christopher Doheny Award from The Center for Fiction and praise from The New York Times, BuzzFeed, and The Baltimore Sun. He has written for The New York Times, Bon Appétit, The Paris Review Daily, The Georgia Review, and elsewhere. He received an MFA in creative writing from George Mason University and was the Philip Roth Writer in Residence at Bucknell. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.