Class

8-Week: The Art of the Personal Essay

Do you have a burning story to tell—your own? Using creative non-fiction to tell our own stories and find our writing voices can be incredibly empowering. In this 8-week class, we’ll explore the personal essay as a way to tell these stories.

The personal essay is a great entry point into creative nonfiction, but it can also take complex forms: narrative, lyric, and more. The personal essay also allows us to explore the nature of truth and of the world through the lens of our own experience.

In this class you’ll craft your own original personal essay. We’ll begin by identifying key components of the form and then delve into generative writing in and outside of class. We'll also read numerous examples by authors such as CJ Hauser, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Leslie Jamison. You’ll then hone and strengthen your essay through class workshops, and finally, you'll brainstorm possible expansions or revisions.

This class takes place in-person, at the Loft at Open Book; we encourage participants to be fully vaccinated and masked in the interest of everyone’s safety. Please see the Loft’s website for the most up to date information about the Loft’s COVID policies.