Class

The Art and Craft of Writing Disability

Much has been said about the representation of marginalized people in the stories we tell. Disability comes with particular challenges because of the contested space it occupies. Who is disabled? Who decides? What is good representation for a character with disabilities?

This mixed-genre prose class gives writers of all levels greater understanding of what is meant by ‘disability representation’, how to recognize and explain problematic representation, how to do research, and how to be aware of word-choice when describing disabled characters.

Students will have opportunities to discuss their experiences with disability stereotypes and participate in generative writing exercises in response to craft lecture materials. This class is open to anyone interested in representing people with disabilities in narrative prose who has been intimidated by all the talk but wants to write stories that include more of our beautiful human variations than is often represented.

No class July 3.

All Classes listed on the Loft website take place in Central Standard Time (CST); make sure you understand your time zone, and adjust accordingly

Instructions for Accessing This Online Class

In order to access live class meetings, you must have the Zoom application downloaded to your computer. You will also need a WiFi/Internet connection throughout the duration of your scheduled meeting and a computer with audio and video capability. The information to join your Zoom classroom will be provided in your confirmation email upon registration. Please check spam folders if you do not see this email upon registration. For more information on how to use Zoom, please see our training manual here.

Some classes use a supplemental Google Classroom page. Should your teaching artist use Google Classroom, you will be invited to join the classroom via email at least 24 hours in advance of your class (check spam folders if you are not seeing this invitation). Please note that Google Classroom requires a Gmail address to access the Classroom. If you do not have a Gmail account, the email invitation will be sent to the email address we have on file and will prompt you to create a free account or enter an existing account to join the classroom. If we are unable to send an email invitation to your non-gmail account, you will be contacted by a staff member to provide a Gmail address. If you do not have a Gmail account, you can create a free account here. Should you have concerns about this, please contact a Loft staff member at [email protected] or 612-379-8999. For more information on how to use Google Classroom, please see our training manual here.