A second workshop has been added to the schedule. You can find a complete course schedule under the Courses tab.

ENG 484: Writing the Personal Essay with Kim Brooks on Monday nights. In addition to being the author of the memoir Small Animals and the novel The Houseguest, Kim is the former personal-essay editor at Salon. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Magazine, Salon, Buzzfeed, and other publications. She has spoken as a guest on CBS This Morning, PBS Newshour, 20/20, NPR’s All Things Considered, Good Morning America, the Brian Lehr Show, and many other radio shows and podcasts.

Here’s her course description: “This course will focus on writing, revising, pitching, and publishing the personal essay. Today, many published memoir and books of personal non-fiction begin with the publication of personal essay. Students will explore how successful essayists blend narrative structure, voice, point of view, research, and journalism to tell a story that includes both lived experience and critical analysis. These elements of essay-writing will be be discussed in workshop as students have the chance to receive constructive feedback on a completed essay. We will also look at a number of published essays across a variety of platforms to analyze the various components that make a piece ‘go viral,’ learning how we might employ some of them without sacrificing the authenticity of our own work and voice. In addition, we’ll also discuss the delicate art of pitching essays and features to editors and developing relationships with editors over time. Finally, students will meet with me in individual conferences to discuss goals for revision.”