Fall | Erasing the Male Gaze (and Other Power Structures) in Creative Nonfiction w Paige Thomas | Nov 9 – Dec 7

It is not groundbreaking news that the literary canon and the study of writing has been dominated by work that was created for and by men. Slowly and imperfectly, the reasons behind their presence is being questioned, and rightfully so. The canon is diversifying, but that does not mean that our implicit writing techniques—how we think about writing, how we create narrative tension, how we read literary texts—is not still being influenced by a history that is saturated by the male gaze. In this class, group discussions and generative, prompt-driven exercises will be geared toward experimenting with modes of thinking and writing about life that undermines dominant narrative traditions. You see, a great work of writing does not need to have a plot. It does not need to have a narrative arc that subscribes to getting from point A to point B. It does not need to feast on its characters, to look only with a predatory gaze. Collaboration, collage, and erasure experiments will aid our study of deconstructing works of creative nonfiction and shifting how we judge the merit, quality, and intention of the work we read/write and why. You will walk away with the beginnings of new project(s) and ways of thinking through how your prose can appear on the page. No class: Nov 23.

All in-person students must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination. 

Teacher: Paige ThomasTime: Wednesdays, 6 – 8pm, Nov 9 – Dec 7, 4 weeks, No class Nov 23Total Fee: Discounted Early Registration is due seven (7) days prior to the start of the workshop. | Discounted Early Registration: $175 (cash/check); $182 (Paypal). | Tuition Registration: $190 (cash/check); $197 (PayPal).