The essay is one of the most durable and varied forms of literature, ranging from personal narrative and creative nonfiction to arts criticism and immersive journalism. This six-week workshop invites writers to explore the world around them and to use the essay genre to discover what they think about a particular subject or event. A well-crafted essay is an act of engagement that leaves the writer, as well as the reader, changed. Through working with various types of essays, students will explore how this sort of writing can build empathy, alter fixed perspectives, and tell a hell of a good story.

During these six weeks, writers will read models of the form (such as work by Hanif Abdurraqib, Jo Ann Beard, Alexander Chee, Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah, Sinéad Gleeson, Carmella de los Angeles Guiol, Leslie Jamison, Olivia Laing, and Wayne Koestenbaum), though the bulk of the class will be devoted to a rigorous discussion of student work in an atmosphere that prioritizes community, craft, and commitment to the practice of being a writer.

Enrollment limit: 6 students
$315
Send payment via PayPal to chris.losangeles@gmail.com or via Venmo to @escapegrace.