Much good essay writing is the articulation of lived thought, a balance between vividly conveying an experience to a reader on its own terms and making some sense or significance out of that experience. This class will address the fundamentals of the personal essay from the premise that good writing is good thinking and that both are grounded in acute observation of one’s own predilections as well as those of the world. With this premise in mind we’ll explore the relationship between imagery and abstraction, summary and scene, and how to bring these supposed binaries into synergy. The class will have both reading and writing assignments. We will read a variety of published examples of the form, each student will produce one essay to be workshopped in class, and students will carefully read one another’s drafts to provide constructive feedback during workshop. Revisions may be considered as time allows. We will discuss workshop ground rules, particularly pertaining to sensitive personal essay content, on the first day.
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Writers Workshops
Personal Essay 2020-109
About the instructor
RHIANNA BRANDT is a writer, teacher, and restaurant worker. She received her associate degree from Wilkes Community College in North Carolina, her Ph.D. from the University of Houston, and held a 2019 residency at Yaddo. Her work has appeared in TSR Online. She recently began teaching in the Inprint creative writing workshops for women at the Harris County Jail, in partnership with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Reentry Services.
By registering for an Inprint Writers Workshop you are agreeing to Inprint’s registration policies. Remember to sign up for the waiting list if the workshop you would like to take is full. To see the full Winter/Spring 2020 workshop schedule click here.