Class

Writers of Color and Indigenous Writers: Fiction for BIPOC Writers (Summer 2024—Open Book)

The goal of this class is to create space for Black, Indigenous, and POC writers to analyze and practice applying BIPOC cultural interpretations of fiction craft elements. While it is true that more contemporary writers are featuring racially diverse characters in their stories, it’s still the case that our culturally specific understandings of story are often left unexplored. What is a First Nations perspective on worldbuilding? What does the first person voice have to offer for Black city girl experiences? And how might we apply these understandings of craft to our own stories?

First, we’ll close-read and discuss excerpts of stories that address these questions such as Future Home of The Living God by Louise Erdrich and “Virgins” by Danielle Evans (session one); then, between sessions one and two, we’ll draft our own excerpts; finally, we’ll close out our time together with workshop (session two). (By “workshop” I mean reading your classmates’ writing and analyzing their decisions as a way of offering ideas helpful for improving and supporting the writing of everyone involved.) If reading this description excites you, this class is for you, my friend.

While it is our intent to hold this class in-person at Open Book, we are prepared to hold our planned in-person programs and classes virtually/online if it becomes unsafe to meet in person. Students who register for in-person activities should bear this in mind.

This class is part of a series of classes that cover the issues and traditions of writers of color and Indigenous writers and is intended for writers of color and Indigenous writers to work on their craft in a space that centers them and their work. We ask all participants to be cognizant of that core value. Minnesota human rights laws prevent the exclusion of anyone based on their identity. If you are not a writer of color or Indigenous writer, please be mindful of the space and energy you take up in a class intended to uplift traditionally marginalized and silenced communities. Anyone being disruptive may be asked to leave.

The class is offered on a pay what you can basis with the suggested fee of $40 ($36 for Friends of the Loft). Students may select the "pay what you can" option and enter any amount, including $0.