Delve Readers Seminar: Delve for Writers: Joan Didion and Durga Chew-Bose

Delve for Writers is a new, occasional Delve series that offers seminars that focus on close readings of narrative, form, and stylistic choices that writers can incorporate into their own writing practice.

Creative nonfiction is the perfect place to find voice, ideas and perspective – and nobody does it better Joan Didion and contemporary groundbreaker Durga Chew-Bose, whose collection Too Much and Not the Mood is a wonderful mashup of what Didion has always done so well, mixing cultural criticism and memoir in think-pieces that inspire and challenge us. In this Delve for Writers, we’ll look carefully at the craft of what we’ve read with close readings of style, form, mechanics, and conceptual and narrative choices.

This seminar will focus on what we can learn from how Didion and Chew-Bose’s pieces are written as much as what they are about. We’ll spend time in each session looking carefully at the craft of what we’ve read with close readings of style, form, mechanics, and conceptual and narrative choices that share the story of what makes these writers masters of their shared genre. As time permits, we may try a few prompts and exercises to help us apply craft lessons to our own work – though an active writing practice is not a pre-requisite.

Texts:
The White Album by Joan Didion
Where I Was From by Joan Didion
Too Much and Not the Mood by Durga Chew-Bose

First assignment:
Read before the first meeting:
Joan Didion, The Art of Nonfiction No. 1 by Hilton Als, The Paris Review

The following essays from The White Album:
“The White Album”
“Good Citizens”
“Notes Toward a Dreampolitik”

In-Person Seminar
Note: This seminar meets in-person at Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington.

Access Program
We want our classes to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers class registrations at a reduced rate. The access program for writing classes covers 60% of the class tuition. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.

Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.

Liasion
We offer full tuition remission to our volunteer liaisons for Delve. Liasions must be able to commit to attending every meeting. Contact susan@literary-arts.org or 503-227-2583 ext. 107 for more information.

Sara Guest

Sara Guest is an editor and poet. Her previous work has included being an editor for Encyclopedia Britannica, producer for Harpo Studios (Oprah’s Book Club), and program coordinator for Write Around Portland. She has an MA in English from Case Western Reserve University.