Creative Writing Classes Oo

Winter 2020 creative writing classes oo

TABLE OF CONTENTS BECOME A MEMBER As a member, you help us provide About Our Classes ... 1 thought-provoking classes and events that connect writers and readers to the craft of Navigating the Catalog ... 2 writing. You’ll also receive great benefits, Visiting Writers ... 3 including early registration and discounts on classes and events. Learn more at Fiction ... 6 hugohouse.org/become-member/ Nonfiction ... 01 Prose ... 13

Mixed Genre ... 16 Poetry ... 19 Reading Like a Writer ... 23 The Writing Life ... 24 Youth Workshops ... 26 Resources ... 28 About Our Teachers ... 29 Notes ... 33

Need a coffee fix before class? All Hugo House students receive a 10-percent discount from our generous friends at Cafe Argento.

iiii ABOUT OUR CLASSES

At Hugo House, we offer creative writing courses in a wide range of writing styles and genres. Whether you’re writing your first poem or have a few novels behind you, Hugo House offers a class to help you become a better writer.

Our classes are taught by published writers and experienced teachers. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. What they all have in common is a love of words.

REGISTRATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Register in person, by phone at (206) 322-7030, or Need-based scholarships are available every online at hugohouse.org. quarter. Applications will be due December 2, and scholarship applicants will be notified All registration opens at 10:30 am December 9. $500+ donor registration: December 2 Member registration: December 3 Visit bit.ly/AboutHHClasses for more General registration: December 10 information and to apply.

CANCELLATIONS AND TRANSFERS REFUNDS If you need to cancel your registration for a class, the Hugo House cannot provide refunds, transfers, or following refund schedule applies: makeup sessions for classes a student might miss. If Hugo House has to cancel a class, you will receive a • 3 days or more before a class, a class credit or full refund. transfer will be issued less a $15 fee. Refunds will be issued less a $35 fee. QUESTIONS? • Less than 3 business days before class start, no If you want to know more about a class or Hugo refund, credits, or transfers are available. House policies, email us at [email protected] • No refunds, class credits, or transfers will be or call (206) 322-7030. We are here to help! available after classes begin.

hugohouse.org 206-322-7030 [email protected] 1 NAVIGATING THE CATALOG

• If you’re looking for genre-specific classes, look underFiction , Nonfiction, or Poetry. Classes applicable to both fiction and nonfiction writers can also be found inProse .

• You can also look under Mixed Genre and in the Visiting Writers section, as many of these classes are useful to writers in any genre. Mixed Genre also includes courses in writing for performance, including playwriting, screenwriting, and songwriting.

• For classes that are less about writing and more about reading and discussing works by great authors, look in the Reading section.

• For classes on submitting your work, publishing, and the business of being a writer, look under The Writing Life.

• This term, we’re also offering writing classes for middle- and high- schoolers. These classes are listed under Youth Workshops.

• For information about our writers-in-residence, drop-in writing circles, and manuscript consultation program, look at the Resources section.

CLASS LEVELS

ALL LEVELS | Many classes at Hugo House are intended for writers at any level, regardless of prior writing class experience.

INTRODUCTORY | Writers with limited experience in a writing class or workshop setting who want to expand their knowledge should consider introductory classes. These classes are also designed for writers who want to explore a new genre.

INTERMEDIATE | Writers with some experience in genre-specific instruction looking to deepen their understanding should consider intermediate classes. These classes often feature a workshop component in which student work is shared and critiqued. NAVIGATING THE CATALOG NAVIGATING ADVANCED | Writers with significant experience in a writing class or workshop setting who seek assistance and feedback with revision should consider advanced classes.

CATALOG KEY

Online class

2 VISITING WRITERS

FICTION JESS WALTER WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM NOIR & CRIME FICTION (IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK) Every few years, I find myself going back to classic noir: Hammet, Cain, Highsmith. I used to think it was the breathless, hard narratives drawing me in. But I’ve realized it’s the writing I go back for—the clear rhythm and compression, an almost musical quality that reminds me how voice can rise from the first sentence to hold a story together, almost like the melody of a song. It reminds me of an old saying: The only truly American arts are jazz and noir. In this class, we’ll listen to some classic noir together, for its dialogue and pacing, its syncopation and simplicity. We’ll write

a line or two and see what we can learn by taking the crime out of crime fiction. VISITING WRITERS

One session | Saturday, Jan 11 | 1–4 pm General: $200 | Member: $180

FICTION GISH JEN

WHERE’S THE STORY? The classic short story focuses on what William Faulkner called “the human heart in conflict with itself.” In this workshop, we will analyze a story to see how that conflict drives story structure. We will then generate story ideas, evaluate them with the help of our classmates and, time allowing, write an opening paragraph ripe with promise. Experienced writers welcome, but no experience necessary.

One session | Thursday, Feb 20 | 1–4 pm General: $200 | Member: $180

PROSE STEVE ALMOND THE ULTIMATE CRAFT CLASS: HOW TO NARRATE, CONSTRUCT CHARACTER, AND BUILD SCENES In this two-day intensive workshop, Almond will lead participants through several essential craft lessons. Participants will learn how to create dramatic scenes, unforgettable characters, and an irresistible narrator. They will complete in-class exercises to help bring the lessons home. The craft concepts discussed apply to any genre of prose and to any level of writer. Come prepared to learn more in two days than you thought possible. This class includes a lunch break.

Two sessions | Saturday & Sunday, Mar 14 & 15 | 10 am–3:30 pm General: $500 | Member: $450 3 YOUR OBSESSION IS YOUR MUSE: STEVE ALMOND DON’T FIGHT IT, WRITE IT! One session Most good writing—whether fiction or nonfiction—arises from a writer’s obses- Monday, Mar 16 sions. In this intensive session, we’ll discuss how to explore our obsessions on the

2–5 pm PROSE page, without falling prey to self-absorption or sentiment. We’ll start by looking General: $150 | Member: $135 at the work of folks such as Joan Didion, George Saunders, and others, and then generate some work in class by confessing to our own obsessions. Check your inhibitions at the door.

STEVE ALMOND WHERE YOUR STORY STARTS: DOUBT & DISEQUILIBRIUM One session Too often in our lives (off the page and on) we seek refuge in a sense of assurance Monday, Mar 16 and psychological stability. But our most intense and lasting experiences are one 6–9 pm that involve doubt and disequilibrium. So what happens when we focus on those

General: $150 | Member: $135 PROSE moments, when we allow ourselves to return to those lost weeks and months and years? Looking at the work of Charles D’Ambrosio, Lorrie Moore, Cheryl Strayed, and other modern masters, we’ll dig deep into this troubled terrain, and use an in- class writing assignment to discover what truths we can reveal.

ANTHONY SWOFFORD THE PATH TO STORY Two sessions Over this two-day generative workshop with Jarhead author Anthony Swofford, Saturday & Sunday, Feb 29 & Mar 1 you will read the first pages of a number of fiction and nonfiction works and -dis 10 am–2 pm cuss “the path” into the works for the reader and the writer. With a series of cre-

General: $240 | Member: $216 PROSE ative prompts and group discussion, you’ll establish tactics for finding a way into story. On the second day, small groups will workshop each writer’s new works and their steps toward establishing a world and narrative drive. Each participant will leave the workshop with the first pages of a new work-in-progress or a refreshed approach to established material.

MITCHELL S. JACKSON THE TOOLS OF VOICE One session One of the most effective ways in prose to, as Susan Sontag says, “preserve the works Friday, Feb 28 of the mind against oblivion,” is to craft a distinctive voice. Voice is made up of 12–3 pm qualities that include diction and structural choices, syntactical usage, and a mind-

General: $90 | Member: $81 PROSE fulness of the acoustics of language. This craft lecture will present philosophies on VISITING WRITERS

voice and some of the rhetorical tools used to compose a remarkable one. It will include examples of those tools from published excerpts, as well as guide participants through a critique of those examples. The lecture will conclude with an exercise designed to challenge participants to employ some of the strategies covered.

COURTNEY MAUM FALL BACK IN LOVE WITH YOUR WRITING One session Acclaimed author Courtney Maum will teach writers how to reengage with texts Wednesday, Feb 19 they’ve fallen out of love with or are simply struggling to complete. Whether you 1–4 pm are stuck in the mucky middle of a first novel draft, can’t find the meat in your General: $90 | Member: $81 nonfiction essay, or simply feel like doing anything but going to your desk to write, Courtney has solutions and exercises to bring focus (and fun!) back to your writ- MIXED GENRE ing. Each student will be asked to bring in two pages of a project that is challenging them in some way. Open to all levels and writers of all genres, this will be an open, invigorating, and reassuring workshop for creatives who want their magic back.

4 KIM STAFFORD SPEAK BEAUTY TO POWER One session Earth calls for testimony, but not stridency. In poetry and episodic prose, we will Saturday, Feb 15 forge testimony to protect places we love, and sustain the planet, with utterance 10 am–5 pm kin to natural beauty. As a river testifies, so shall we—flow, light, grace. As a tree General: $180 | Member: $162 testifies, so shall we—a lofty intelligence, rooted in fact. The loud conversations of our time require winsome witness for the wild world. After writing together, MIXED GENRE we will explore ways to make our witness public. This class includes a lunch break.

NATANYA PULLEY SENSING YOUR CHARACTER One session Paying attention to the five main senses when describing a character is important. Wednesday, Feb 12 However, humans have as many as twenty different ways to physiologically perceive 12–3 pm the world around us (including balance, temperature, and proprioception). In this

General: $90 | Member: $81 FICTION class, we’ll generate characters by considering multiple senses and sensations. We’ll also look at examples of how style and aesthetics help readers sense characters before we workshop our newly created character sketches, scenes, and/or descriptions. VISITING WRITERS

RAYMOND FLEISCHMANN CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD-PERSON KIND One session Point of view is one of the most complex elements of writing fiction, and third Monday, Jan 13 person POV can be especially nuanced in terms of its tone, language, and narrative 6–9 pm distance. This class will take a look at the qualities that comprise so-called “close

General: $90 | Member: $81 FICTION third-person” POV and explore some in-class exercises to hone our use of it.

TAWNYA BHATTACHARYA TV PILOTS AND FEATURE FILMS: INTENSIVE WORKSHOP Two sessions It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing TV or film—a successful script includes Saturday & Sunday, Jan 18 & 19 many of the same ingredients. On the first day of this intense immersion work- 10 am–4 pm shop, you’ll learn how to create the critical elements needed in the development General: $270 | Member: $243 process, including: loglines, conceits, compelling characters and formidable oppo- nents, inciting incidents, conflict and stakes, catalyst relationships, and the “why now.” On the second day, you’ll learn how to build a strong structural foundation SCREENWRITING for your movie or TV script, including: how TV and film stories are structured; how to build individual storylines; how to create thrilling act breaks; how to track your character’s development; and how to illustrate a story’s themes for a TV or film audience. This class includes a lunch break.

FOR MORE VISITING WRITER CLASSES, VISIT HUGOHOUSE.ORG.

5 FICTION

tiered classes

Feel confident in progressing through your writing in one of our tiered classes. Each course is designed to equip you with the appropriate tools, skills, and an understanding of the diverse voices at work in each genre. You may self-select into classes based on where you feel comfortable, and you are welcome to take classes as many times as you would like.

FICTION II ALMA GARCÍA In Fiction II, we’ll briefly review the basics of character, conflict, and plot, then Eight sessions focus on the building blocks of point of view, setting, scene, pacing, and dialogue, Thursdays, Jan 30–Mar 19 with an eye toward creating a compelling voice that draws the reader into—and 7:10–9:10 pm through—a well-rounded story. Students will do in-class or take-home writing General: $380 | Member: $342 exercises, read and discuss published stories, and workshop their own drafts in a supportive environment with their teacher and peers.

FICTION II (ONLINE) ANCA SZILÁGYI In this class, we will focus on point of view, scene construction, and Eight sessions dialogue through reading published examples, writing prompts, and Feb 5–Mar 25 workshop of each other’s writing. This course takes place online through our Online partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be done at your own pace throughout the General: $380 | Member: $342 week.

FICTION III SCOTT DRISCOLL This class will build upon craft learned in Fiction II. Students can expect advanced Ten sessions readings, regular workshops, and feedback from their classmates and instructor. Mondays, Jan 13–Mar 30

FICTION We’ll look at each other’s drafts with an eye to properly balance the elements of [No class Jan 20 & Feb 17] story, such as plot, character, voice, and pacing, into a well-structured, thematically 7:10–9:10 pm resonant whole that keeps the reader turning the pages. As time allows, we’ll also General: $460 | Member: $414 examine published work that inspires and instructs.

general

SPECULATIVE FICTION WORKSHOP RUTH JOFFRE All Levels | Bring your space opera, your urban fantasy, your gothic horror, your Six sessions portal to another dimension. This workshop is open to anyone working under the Mondays, Jan 13–Mar 2 umbrella of speculative fiction. Students should come prepared to turn in at least [No class Jan 20 & Feb 17] one story or novel excerpt for workshop. 7:10–9:10 pm General: $290 | Member: $261

6 general

GETTING INSIDE YOUR CHARACTER'S HEAD LIZA BIRNBAUM All Levels | This workshop will focus on techniques to get your characters’ rich inner Eight sessions lives on the page. We’ll use in-class writing activities and close readings of masters Thursdays, Jan 23–Mar 12 of interiority like Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, and Lydia Davis to jump-start 7:10–9:10 pm our stories, and we’ll discuss our own fiction in a supportive, generative workshop General: $380 | Member: $342 setting. You’ll leave with at least one revised piece and a greater understanding of how form, style, and psychology combine to create complex characters.

HERE, THERE, THEN, NOW: WRITING TIME TRAVEL AND ALTERNATE DIMENSIONS BJ NEBLETT Introductory / Intermediate | This two-day, six-hour intensive offers instruction Two sessions and writing exercises designed to explore how to make time travel and alternate Sundays, Jan 26–Feb 2 dimensions work in sci-fi and fantasy. Students will get the chance to discuss, write 1–4 pm scenes and passages, and get their work critiqued. General: $170 | Member: $153

WRITING SUSPENSEFUL SCENES KEVIN O’BRIEN All Levels | Whether you’re penning a mystery, literary fiction, science fiction, or One session romance story, suspenseful scenes are a major ingredient in practically every genre. Saturday, Feb 8 FICTION New York Times bestselling thriller author Kevin O’Brien will discuss how to de- 1–4 pm velop suspense through characterization, pace, description, and point-of-view. A General: $90 | Member: $81 working author for over 22 years, he’ll also discuss how to market your work and the business side of publishing.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER WENDY KENDALL All Levels | Imagine: You’re designing a murder to blame on the villain of your Six sessions choice, throwing suspicion on innocent bystanders, and plotting the deed so that Mondays, Feb 24–Mar 30 you walk away unscathed. In this class, we’ll learn how to create this crime for pub- 7:10–9:10 pm lication, then use this dynamic perspective to apply the ingredients that create the General: $290 | Member: $261 MOM (motivation, opportunity, means) of all mysteries.

SEARCHING FOR YOUR ROMANCE VOICE AND STYLE EILIS FLYNN All Levels | What’s the difference between a romantic story that grabs your imag- Four sessions ination and one that puts you to sleep? The voice—so let’s go on a voice hunt. Saturdays, Mar 7–28 We’ll examine well-known romances and authors to figure out what makes them 10 am–12 pm so distinctive. By digging into the secrets of voice and style, we’ll find out how to General: $240 | Member: $216 write stories that keep readers riveted.

MAGICAL REALISM STEPHANIE BARBÉ HAMMER All Levels | We’ll briefly discuss some of the arguments surrounding the origins and Two sessions nature of magical realism (Latin American, German, or international? Modern, Thursdays, Mar 19–26 premodern, or postmodern? Is it a genre or a style?), then use creative jumping-off 5–7 pm points from the work of Gabriel García Márquez, Aimee Bender, Ryka Aoki, Leslie General: $120 | Member: $108 Marmon Silko, Colson Whitehead, Stacey Levine, and others.

7 short story

FLASH FICTION WORKSHOP JOE PONEPINTO All Levels | Students of all abilities and experience are welcome to take this class, Ten sessions which is designed to produce a body of flash fiction work that can serve as a cache Thursdays, Jan 16–Mar 19 of journal submissions, as well as the basis for a collection of stories. The class will 5–7 pm cover flash fiction story genesis, technique, writing, revision, and submission, as General: $460 | Member: $414 students compose one or more works per week.

STORY STRUCTURE FOR FICTION WRITERS (ONLINE) JEFF BENDER All Levels | Up in the Air author Walter Kirn says the “hack-screenwriter” Six sessions has a better sense of storytelling than the intermediate fiction writer. Jan 25–Feb 29 Why is that? What do screenwriters know that novelists don’t? We'll examine Online Christopher Vogler’s 12 Stages of Storytelling and test the stages on stories we General: $290 | Member: $261 know. Students will have the opportunity to outline and workshop their own stories. This course takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be completed at your own pace throughout the week.

STRANGE STORIES: PUTTING THE UNCANNY IN YOUR FICTION (ONLINE) LAURA SCOTT All Levels | The unusual is thriving in contemporary storytelling. A man Four sessions made famous for playing a vampire on TV is haunted by a real ghost; Feb 5–26 something is wrong at a family’s new house. Maybe art is imitating our strange Online times. Considering writers such as Kelly Link and A.S. Byatt, we will find out how General: $240 | Member: $216 the strange can get us closer to the truth. Plan to draft two stories and discuss one of those stories with the class. This course takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be completed at your own pace throughout the week. FICTION WRITE A STORY IN A SINGLE SCENE LAURA SCOTT All Levels | Some of the best stories get everything done in a single scene, no set One session change needed. We will look at examples of these small stories from masters of Sunday, Mar 15 the form such as Yasunari Kawabata and Lucia Berlin and develop our own stories 1–4 pm within the structural limitations of a single scene. Expect to draft two very short General: $90 | Member: $81 stories.

novel

WRITE YOUR NOVEL NOW SUSAN MEYERS Introductory / Intermediate | Whether you’re just getting started or simply need a Two sessions recharge, this intensive “boot camp” experience will give you the tools you need to Saturday & Sunday, Jan 25 & 26 start (and finish!) your novel. Through a study of professional examples, we’ll look 1–5 pm at foundational concepts of novel writing, from hooking the reader and develop- General: $240 | Member: $216 ing a plot to shaping chapters and keeping momentum. We’ll engage in a variety of writing exercises, study approaches to outlines and planning, workshop student drafts, and discuss possibilities for publication.

8 novel

STUCK IN THE MIDDLE: SEVEN PLOT POINTS OF TRANSFORMATION JENNIFER HAUPT Intermediate | Whether you are in the honeymoon period of the first hundred One session pages of your story or stuck in the middle, creating seven key plot points that Sunday, Mar 22 marry character development and page-turning action will help you sail through 1–4 pm to the end. We’ll engage in discussion and writing exercises to enable you to design General: $90 | Member: $81 your own unique version of these critical story junctures. You’ll leave with a better understanding of your book’s overall structure and a roadmap for creating a logical and organic transformation of your primary character.

young adult / middle grade

NAILING YOUR OWN MIDDLE-GRADE VOICE SARAH ALLEN All Levels | This idea-generative course will focus on mining each participant’s Four sessions life for unique story elements. We’ll focus on crafting these concepts in the most Wednesdays, Jan 15–Feb 5 effective way possible, discussing character arc, story structure, scene, theme, and 5–7 pm voice. We’ll look at everything from overall structure to small-scale sentence-level General: $240 | Member: $216

syntactical choices, examining examples from modern and classic middle-grade FICTION texts, to see how individual themes influence voice.

Many classes in the Prose section cover general fiction techniques. See pages 13–15.

9 NONFICTION

tiered classes

CREATIVE NONFICTION II (ONLINE) GAIL FOLKINS In this class, we will delve deeper into styles of creative nonfiction, in- Eight sessions cluding memoir and personal essay forms. Students will consider more Jan 23–Mar 12 intensive readings and prompts, and workshop their own nonfiction pieces. This Online course takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be done General: $380 | Member: $342 at your own pace throughout the week.

CREATIVE NONFICTION II ANNE LIU KELLOR This class is for those familiar with the basics of creative nonfiction. Each week we Eight sessions will freewrite from in-class prompts, experiment with point of view, share aloud, Thursdays, Feb 6–Apr 2 and listen. We will also read and discuss a diverse range of voices and structures [No class Feb 20] found in essays/memoir excerpts by authors such as Hampl, Yuknavitch, and 7:10–9:10 pm Vuong. Students will receive feedback on a piece and have the option to work- General: $380 | Member: $342 shop with the class.

general

WRITING NATURE JOHN FARNSWORTH All Levels | In this class, we’ll take an exploratory approach to both environmental Ten sessions writing and nature writing while developing the skills to evoke place and describe Wednesdays, Jan 8–Mar 11 the natural world. During the first half of the course, various approaches to nature 7:10–9:10 pm NONFICTION writing will be investigated as we develop the craft of observation and description. General: $460 | Member: $414 We will also consider eco-critical concerns and discuss contemporary articles that are exemplary of craft. The second half of the course will take the form of a traditional writing workshop where students hone their nature-writing skills.

WRITING HOME MARGOT KAHN All Levels | Home can be where we learn to first understand our place in the world, Four sessions and a place we return to again and again for answers about how to be. Looking at Mondays, Mar 2–23 example essays by writers like Elissa Washuta, Amanda Petrusich, Jane Wong, and 5–7 pm Jennifer Finney Boylan, we will discuss how choices in form, voice, and content General: $240 | Member: $216 work in a variety of “home” narratives, from the sprawling multi-generational family story to the domestic vignette. We’ll work through a series of prompts to complete a vignette each week that may serve as a collaged story, the beginning of an essay, or sections of a larger work.

10 general

TRUE STORIES, REAL PEOPLE: WHEN YOUR ‘CHARACTERS’ KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE NEAL THOMPSON Introductory / Intermediate | How do you bring nonfiction subjects to life without Four sessions getting sued—or stabbed? This class will cover the challenges and thrills of writing Thursdays, Mar 5–26 about real human beings—public figures, dead people, friends, and trickiest of all: 5–7 pm family—in narrative nonfiction, journalism, essay, biography, and memoir. We’ll General: $240 | Member: $216 read and discuss examples of writers who deftly craft true stories about real-life subjects. We’ll do a few in-class and take-home writing exercises, and discuss our work. We’ll also host a special guest author visit.

RESEARCHING AND WRITING TRUE CRIME REBECCA MORRIS Introductory | No matter when the crime in question took place, crime-writing is Four sessions different than any other genre. It requires digging for documents, finding sources, Wednesdays, Mar 11–Apr 1 conducting sensitive interviews, being at the scene of the crime, and researching 7:10–9:10 pm cold cases. This class will teach you how to do those things, as well as explore dif- General: $240 | Member: $216 ferent ways to break in to the market, from books to podcasts to daily journalism NONFICTION to television.

essay

THE ROMANCE OF TRAVEL WRITING NICHOLAS O'CONNELL Introductory / Intermediate | Travel writing sounds too good to be true. You head One session off to France, Hawaii, or the Swiss Alps, take some notes, shoot some photos, and Saturday, Jan 18 then write articles that sell for enough to pay for the entire trip. This course will 1–4 pm introduce you to the fundamentals of travel writing, including scene, character General: $90 | Member: $81 sketches, dialogue, and point of view, as well as how to pitch those stories to an editor at an appropriate publication.

WOMXN OF COLOR WRITING INNOVATIVE NONFICTION ANNE LIU KELLOR All Levels | This class is for womxn of color who want to read and learn from Six sessions contemporary womxn writers of color, such as Terese Marie Mailhot, Khadijah Sundays, Jan 19–Mar 1 Queen, Seo-Young Chu, and more. Each week we’ll read and discuss 2–3 lyric es- 1–3 pm says/memoirs and poems that explore themes such as family, race, gender, violence, General: $290 | Member: $261 love, identity, and ancestry. We’ll freewrite from prompts, share, and listen in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. Students will be encouraged to turn in an essay to the instructor for extensive feedback.

INTRODUCTION TO FEATURE STORIES (ONLINE) MADELINE OSTRANDER Introductory / Intermediate | The feature is a flexible form that allows Eight sessions writers to combine a literary voice with the timeliness of newswriting— Jan 23–Mar 12 and get their work into top-tier, well-compensated publications. This generative Online class teaches the art and pragmatism of feature-writing. Through exercises, readings, General: $380 | Member: $342 and discussion, you’ll develop enticing story ideas and learn to weave together the characters, scenes, and “big idea” exposition that are characteristic of features.

11 essay

WRITING THE OP-ED KATHLEEN ALCALÁ Intermediate | The Seattle Times accepts brief letters for their op-ed page. At 650 One session words, an opinion piece requires more shaping, but stretches your influence much Sunday, Feb 9 further. In this class, you’ll learn how to select a topic, choose the right words, 1–4 pm and understand your audience. We will read and discuss examples, then write and General: $90 | Member: $81 discuss our own work. Writers should be comfortable working with an editor. A list of tips will be provided.

memoir

NAIL YOUR FIRST CHAPTER INGRID RICKS Introductory / Intermediate | Whether you’ve been laboring over your first chapter Four sessions for months or are just getting started, this course is for you. Memoir author and Sundays, Jan 12–Feb 2 book coach Ingrid Ricks will teach you how to open and structure your first chap- 10 am–1 pm ter in a way that grabs readers and lays the foundation for your memoir, alongside General: $290 | Member: $261 narrative techniques that will bring your chapter to life. Each session includes 90 minutes of instruction time and an hour of writing/one-on-one meetings.

WRITE YOUR MEMOIR: HOW TO STRUCTURE, OUTLINE, INGRID RICKS AND BRING YOUR STORY TO LIFE One session Introductory / Intermediate | In this intensive crash-course, memoir author and Sunday, Feb 9 book coach Ingrid Ricks will arm you with the tools you need to effectively dive 10 am–5 pm into your memoir. She’ll teach you the three most common story structure tech- General: $170 | Member: $153 niques and walk you through the simple outlining process she employs for every book project she takes on. From there, she’ll delve into the six powerful narrative writing techniques you need to bring your memoir to life. Be prepared to write! This class includes a lunch break.

NONFICTION WRITING THE SELF: THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY AS INSPIRATION FOR MEMOIR ANGELA SELLS All Levels | Ushered into the mainstream by Joseph Campbell, mythic narratives Six sessions have the power to enliven and enrich our day-to-day experiences. We will explore Saturdays, Feb 22–Mar 28 the literary, psychological, filmic, and cultural significance of an array of female- 1–3 pm centric mythological narratives, images, and historical persons. Each class focuses General: $290 | Member: $261 on storytelling—specifically the Heroine’s Journey—as personal inspiration for memoir writing.

NARRATIVE INTIMACY IN LITERARY NONFICTION SARAH TOWNSEND All Levels | A recent New York Times article refers to a new wave of memoirs drawing Four sessions on the intimate. While intimacy of voice in narrative nonfiction is not new, readers Tuesdays, Mar 10–31 continue to seek deep human connection through books. Together, we will read 7:10–9:10 pm excerpts of writers who hold their readers close, including Sarah Manguso, Warsan General: $240 | Member: $216 Shire, and Ta‑Nehisi Coates. Through close readings, freewriting, and analysis of craft, participants will experiment with technique for a new or existing project.

12 PROSE

general

THE FEARLESS PEN BETH SLATTERY All Levels | For many writers, there is nothing as anxiety-inducing as the blank Eight sessions page; this class is designed to help fearful writers find the courage needed to begin, Tuesdays, Jan 14–Mar 3 or finish, a project. We will look at writers who admit to anxiety, uncover reasons 10 am–12 pm why we are fearful, and practice techniques that will help us face those fears and General: $380 | Member: $342 produce. Also, we will write. A lot. Students will leave class with 25 pages written toward a project and instructor feedback.

POINTS OF VIEW WAVERLY FITZGERALD All Levels | This class offers writers of fiction and nonfiction a chance to experi- Six sessions ment with points of view. We’ll start with the obvious first-, second-, and third Tuesdays, Jan 14–Feb 18 person points of view, but then look at more complex options: the unreliable 5–7 pm narrator, omniscience, and shifting points of view. We’ll also explore the effects General: $290 | Member: $261 created by varying distance and position in time. You can work on one piece six ways or let the different options inspire six new pieces.

PLOT OR NOT TARA ATKINSON PROSE All Levels | Is it a juicy plot that keeps pages turning, or something else? We’ll Four sessions read stories and craft essays that examine the nature of plot, tension, pacing, and Wednesdays, Jan 15–Feb 5 structure, then complete generative exercises and collaborative writing projects for 7:10–9:10 pm hands-on exploration of what makes a story go. Writers of all levels can use this class General: $240 | Member: $216 to find new ideas—and maybe even cure writer’s block.

FINISH YOUR MANUSCRIPT—REALLY! JENNIFER HAUPT Intermediate / Advanced | Sometimes it takes a stealth combo of craft tactics and Ten sessions psychological warfare to overcome the enemies of creativity: resistance, self-doubt, Sundays, Jan 19–Mar 22 and procrastination. This class is designed for people who have at least 100 pag- 10 am–12 pm es written of a novel or memoir and are committed to finishing it—really! We’ll General: $460 | Member: $414 work on exercises designed to motivate and facilitate forward motion, with realistic goal-setting and accountability in class and daily check-in with a Facebook group. Students will workshop in class and complete structural exercises. Required texts: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield andThe Anatomy of Story by John Truby.

SUSPENSEFUL WRITING JOSHUA MARIE WILKINSON All Levels | Why are some books impossible to put down? It’s simple: When an Six sessions important outcome is unknown, people can hardly think of anything else. It’s that Wednesdays, Jan 22–Feb 26 yearning to turn the pages in order to find out what happens next. Suspense is what 5–7 pm makes great stories so absorbing, and it’s why your favorite show is so ridiculously General: $290 | Member: $261 bingeable. We’ll explore extremely practical methods for writing suspensefully, and we’ll learn how to make scenes that leave the reader burning to turn pages.

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WRITING ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD ANDREW PALMER All Levels | Childhood provides a rich vein of material for a writer—if you know Eight sessions how to tap it. In this class, we’ll explore strategies for shaping stories about our Mondays, Jan 27–Mar 23 childhoods and making them meaningful to readers unfamiliar with our lives. [No class Feb 17] We’ll examine stories about childhood by writers like Elena Ferrante, Annie 7:10–9:10 pm Dillard, and Marcel Proust for inspiration and guidance. And you’ll share your General: $380 | Member: $342 own writing about your childhood in a supportive workshop setting.

SHOW AND TELL BETH SLATTERY All Levels | Though many of us have heard the advice “show, don’t tell,” this work- Six sessions shop will embrace the practice of showing and telling. We will find answers to di- Tuesdays, Jan 28–Mar 3 lemmas such as when you should rely on just-the-facts-ma’am narrative and when 5–7 pm you should linger in scene. We will read and discuss authors who excel at this General: $290 | Member: $261 combination (Adichie, Didion, Mura, Ó’Faoláin, etc.). Students will workshop a story, essay, or excerpt from longer piece and can expect significant feedback from the instructor.

PHILOSOPHY FOR WRITERS PART III CHARLES MUDEDE All Levels | Philosophy for Writers Part III is for any writer, regardless of previous Six sessions enrollment in a Philosophy for Writers course. In this class, we will enter philos- Tuesdays, Jan 28–Mar 3 ophy from a path that starts with Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments 7:10–9:10 pm and ends with Judith Butler’s The Psychic Life of Power: Theories in Subjection. In General: $290 | Member: $261 between these works are Neitzsche’s dizzying On the Genealogy of Morality and Foucault’s dazzling Discipline and Punish. Though these works focus on the nature and structure and limits of human morality, the class will also examine their PROSE literary value and beauty. If you are a poet or a writer who wants more poetry in their prose, join us on this speculative adventure.

FROM HISTORY TO STORY: WRITING YOUR LIFE (ONLINE) SUSAN MEYERS Introductory / Intermediate | You’ve got a life story to tell, but how can Eight sessions you turn history into a story? What should you include? And what should Feb 4–Mar 24 you leave out? Moreover, how can you make your memories interesting to a reader? Online This class explores storytelling techniques from memoir to autobiographical fiction General: $380 | Member: $342 to help you bring your story to life. We’ll consult writers like Tim O’Brien, Maxine Hong Kingston, and David Sedaris, and we’ll use writing exercises to help you launch your own writing project. This course takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be completed at your own pace throughout the week.

ALTERNATIVE STRUCTURES, FAMILIAR PATTERNS DIANA XIN Intermediate | Each piece we set out to write presents endless choices and decisions. Six sessions By studying the structures and patterns that often emerge from creative chaos, we Wednesdays, Feb 12–Mar 18 will explore strategies for designing a story to amplify its desired effects. Using Jane 7:10–9:10 pm Alison’s Meander, Spiral, Explode as a jumping-off point, we will review stories General: $290 | Member: $261 from Margaret Atwood, Stuart Dybek, Carmen Maria Machado, and others. Using prompts from our readings, we will generate and workshop new work. 14 general

WOUNDED LITTLE LIARS: CHARACTERS IN FICTION AND NONFICTION SONORA JHA All Levels | These people in your stories . . . Who hurt them? Who loved them One session once and left them? What are your characters doing to their world and themselves Saturday, Feb 15 because of their wounds? In this one-day deep-dive into your characters’ truths 1–5 pm and lies, we will read and write layers and nuances into your characters and render General: $120 | Member: $108 them fragile, funny, fallible, and ultimately unforgettable.

THE ART OF SUBTEXT PIPER LANE All Levels | Charles Baxter claims that the greatest fallacy of modern storytelling Four sessions is that everyone is always listening to each other. In truth, we’re distracted, caught Sundays, Feb 16–Mar 8 up in our own lives, and in general quite terrible at listening and responding to 1–3 pm each other, especially those we care about. How do you get your characters talking General: $240 | Member: $216 honestly and vulnerably to one another? In this generative workshop, we’ll talk about how subtext can elevate your dialogue, while also learning how to listen to the musicality, oddness, and beauty of the conversations that surround us.

COMEDIC STORYTELLING MARGOT LEITMAN

All Levels | There’s an art to making painful, strange, or even mundane life experi- One session PROSE ences funny. The students will learn to dig inside their own lives to find humorous, Sunday, Feb 23 relatable material to unify the audience, making them laugh at their own experi- 1–4 pm ences through the student’s performance. Students will leave class with a strong General: $90 | Member: $81 understanding of how to structure a story for comedic purposes. Additional focus will be on getting through the fear of being judged for our honesty.

FROM START TO FINISH: GET TO A DRAFT IN ONE DAY KRISTEN MILLARES YOUNG All Levels | In this generative workshop, you’ll learn to cultivate deadline discipline One session with a series of timed prompts based on Anzaldúa’s “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Sunday, Mar 1 applicable to both fiction and creative nonfiction. Together, we will create new 10 am–5 pm short stories, essays, or novel chapters, going from conception to completion of a General: $170 | Member: $153 draft during class hours. Guided by Anzaldúa’s genius, you’ll produce new prose and learn the magic of the timer. Bring your laptop/notebook. This class includes a lunch break.

TRUTH OR FICTION?: WRITING LIFE STORIES SUSAN MEYERS Introductory / Intermediate | Writing about real life can be tricky. You may not Two sessions remember all the details—or, you may want to change information to protect Saturday & Sunday, Mar 7 & 8 people or make a story more interesting. But how much is OK to change? This 1–5 pm class explores memoir and autobiographical fiction to examine how “true” your General: $240 | Member: $216 life stories should be. We’ll consult writers like Patricia Hampl, David Sedaris, Tim O’Brien, and John D’Agata; and we’ll use writing exercises to help you begin your own personal writing project.

15 MIXED GENRE

poetry & prose

WRITING TRAUMA TARA HARDY All Levels | Many of us write what haunts us—in order to heal, discover, exorcise, Six sessions make meaning of, celebrate survival, and/or reach for connection. In a highly sup- Thursdays, Jan 9–Feb 13 portive environment we’ll explore access points to writing trauma, self-care for the 5–7 pm process, and sticky issues of impact (on self and others). We’ll generate new work, General: $290 | Member: $261 focus significantly on craft, and discuss the joys and challenges of writing about trauma. Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback on their writing from the instructor at least once.

GENERATING SHORT FORMS: LYDIA DAVIS AND THE AMERICAN PROSE POEM DEBORAH WOODARD All Levels | In this class, we’ll focus on Lydia Davis, known for the extreme brevity Six sessions of her narratives, in relationship to the American prose poem tradition. Partici- Saturdays, Jan 18–Feb 22 pants may respond to assignments with prose poems, “regular” poems, aphorisms, 1–3 pm postcard messages, movie scripts, grocery lists, mini-essays, flash fiction, etc. As General: $290 | Member: $261 long as responses are reasonably pithy, they qualify. Weekly writing prompts and read-arounds. Required texts: The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis (Picador, 2009); Great American Prose Poems, ed. Lehman (Scribner, 2003).

FOLLOW THE THREAD AMBER FLAME All Levels | Develop work along a through-line or theme in this generative work- Six sessions shop aimed at getting you closer to manuscript creation. Students should come with Thursdays, Jan 23–Feb 27 a selection of work to tie together and a theme to develop through further writing. 5–7 pm This class is highly interactive and students should be open to peer feedback and General: $290 | Member: $261 ready to both generate and revise new work. Prompts will be provided; expect to create a general skeleton for a manuscript.

MIXED GENRE WRITING OUR OBSESSIONS CAROLYNE WRIGHT All Levels | Our writing is inspired, in part, by our obsessions—those images, Six sessions memories, and concerns we keep spinning in our heads. We will explore ways mod- Saturdays, Jan 25–Feb 29 ern and contemporary poets and writers effectively write their obsessions, consid- 10 am–12 pm ering the relationship of form and content and paying attention to rhetorical and General: $290 | Member: $261 experimental devices (often unconsciously chosen): repetition, recursion, ranting, listing, among others. We will write the stories we find ourselves repeating, and explore the many options available to us in narrative voice and storytelling.

NARRATIVE RECLAMATION: USING STORIES TO HEAL ZAIN SHAMOON All Levels | This class is dedicated to the role of storytelling in finding relief from Two sessions distress. Students in this course will learn how storytelling can be used for personal Saturday & Sunday, Feb 1 & 2 and communal reclamation, including the confrontation of historical pain. Stu- 10 am– 1 pm dents will understand the role of personal storytelling in counteracting the impact General: $170 | Member: $153 of trauma and gain skills in using storytelling toward their empowerment. This course will include a discussion component and the development of a new piece. 16 poetry & prose

HOW THE BODY HOLDS ITS STORIES: AN EMBODIED WRITING WORKSHOP JORDAN ALAM All Levels | How do our bodies hold on to experiences? In this course, writers will Six sessions come together to consider the physical act of writing—how we translate embodied Saturdays, Feb 1–Mar 7 knowledge into language on the page. By moving our bodies and engaging our 10 am–12 pm senses, we will generate new writing that touches on our vulnerability and articu- General: $290 | Member: $261 lates hard-to-reach memories. Writers of all genres are encouraged to participate; there is something for the poet, memoirist, and fiction writer in this class.

MORRISON, LORDE, AND SHANGE: POETRY, PLACE, AND PROTEST ACROSS GENERATIONS AND GENRES ANASTACIA-RENEÉ All Levels | We will critically read, intensely discuss, unpack, and explore the mas- Six sessions terful words and the social and literary impact of Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, Tuesdays, Feb 18–Mar 24 and Ntozake Shange. You’ll create a collection of three pieces of mixed-genre 7:10–9:10 pm work using Morrison (fiction), Lorde (poetry), and Shange (monologue) as your General: $290 | Member: $261 MIXED GENRE foundation. Classes will be devoted to studying each writer, creating first drafts and revisions, and polishing your work. Participants will have the opportunity to share their work publicly in a group reading one week after the last class.

UNDER THE SKIN: AN EXPLORATION OF AUTOTHEORY ARIANNE ZWARTJES Intermediate / Advanced | Since Maggie Nelson’s 2015 book The Argonauts refer- Two sessions enced autotheory, the term has had some buzz in the literary world. Autotheory— Saturday & Sunday, Feb 22 & 23 loosely defined as writing that mixes embodied personal narrative with philosophy, 10 am–2 pm criticism, or theory—is often hybrid not only in discipline, but also in genre and General: $240 | Member: $216 form. In this weekend writing intensive, we will explore autotheory through authors such as Christina Sharpe, Maggie Nelson, Bhanu Kapil, Chris Kraus, and Gloria Anzaldúa, with a mixture of generative writing, reading, and discussion.

WRITING TO THE MOON AND BACK SIERRA NELSON “The moon making a poem possible . . . what can we say about that?” —Mary Ruefle Six sessions All Levels | 50 years after the lunar landing, let’s look toward the moon anew. This Mondays, Feb 24–Mar 30 generative class, open to all genres, features eclectic writing experiments inspired 7:10–9:10 pm by scientific, esoteric, and mythological ideas about the moon to jump-start our General: $290 | Member: $261 creativity and playfully upend clichés. The class will culminate in a small folio of new lunar-infused work. Most writing will take place in class with some observation homework; there will be an optional conference with the instructor at the end.

#OWNVOICES: DIGITAL STORYTELLING (ONLINE) RACHEL WERNER All Levels | Digital storytelling—the single or combined use of text, Four sessions images, video, audio, social media (like ‘tweets’ or ‘bookstagrams’), or Feb 27–Mar 19 interactive elements (such as live chats)—is a powerful way for writers to show- Online case diverse narratives. This course will focus on how to craft such elements to General: $240 | Member: $216 authentically produce and share our own #OwnVoices digital stories, as well as explore additional aspects of online media to help you explore which tools are right for you. 17 poetry & prose

DEEP WORDPLAY ERICA SKLAR All Levels | By stripping language of its meaning, creating words, and focusing on Four sessions sounds, shapes, and pleasure, this is an opportunity to step away from purpose and Saturdays, Mar 7–28 instead experience the joy of words for their own sake. We’ll find surprise, meaning, 10 am–12 pm and clarity in fresh ideas, and study and create everything from lyric essay to ekphrastic General: $240 | Member: $216 poetry to found poetry. Genre-bending will add to a vision of experimentation that writers can employ inside or apart from more traditional forms.

graphic forms

COMICS: TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL DAVID LASKY Intermediate | You’ve written and drawn a few (or several) pages of comics, and & GREG STUMP now you’d like to take it further. Two expert cartoonists take you in new directions Six sessions with a variety of challenging assignments and insightful lectures. You will begin at Saturdays, Jan 25–Feb 29 least two short comics in every class with the option of continuing on your own. 1–3 pm (There will be drawing as well as writing.) Expect some intense but very fun ses- General: $290 | Member: $261 sions resulting in lots of new material.

writing for performance

CREATIVE STORYTELLING THROUGH SONGWRITING SASSYBLACK All Levels | Not so different from a poem or short narrative, songwriting is simply Six sessions storytelling with a musical backdrop. Songs share intimate tales of heartbreak, joy, Mondays, Feb 10–Mar 23 rage, triumph, and defeat; understanding how to write them adds a useful skill to [No class Feb 17] your writer’s toolbox. Work with internationally known singer, songwriter, and 5–7 pm producer SassyBlack to learn foundational songwriting techniques used through- General: $290 | Member: $261 out the music industry. You’ll find out how to write to the beat of your own myth or memoir as well as how to intermingle your words within the pulse of the musical

MIXED GENRE landscape of your choosing.

INTRODUCTION TO PLAYWRITING ANA PASTOR Introductory | Students will be introduced to playwriting; the main mechanics, Six sessions concepts, and theory behind a dramatic text; and the necessary tools to develop Thursdays, Feb 20–Mar 26 characters, conflicts, and engaging scenes for the stage. We will learn from great 7:10–9:10 pm international playwrights (Harold Pinter, Sarah Kane, Dario Fo, Eugene Ionesco), General: $290 | Member: $261 as well as from each other through constructive feedback and active listening. The course is very practical, with engaging writing exercises, games, and readings.

SCREENWRITING BASICS MICHAEL SHILLING Introductory | Screenwriting is a unique art form that demands a passionate One session understanding of its rules, conventions, and flexibilities. Over three jam-packed Saturday, Mar 21 hours, we’ll examine the essentials of the screenwriter’s art on the page and screen 1–4 pm via a variety of movies such as The Favourite and Moonlight, and episodes of shows General: $90 | Member: $81 like Mad Men and Russian Doll. 18 POETRY

tiered classes

POETRY II (ONLINE) MICHELLE PEÑALOZA This class will build upon the basics of poetic craft. Through more- in Eight sessions tensive readings, prompts, discussions, and workshops, we will further Jan 13–Mar 2 develop our poetic technique. While Poetry I is aimed at introducing you to the Online vast creative toolbox available to any poet, the goal of Poetry II is to explore in General: $380 | Member: $342 more detail those craft elements that are most often at play in your own growing body of work. This course takes place online through our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be done at your own pace throughout the week.

POETRY II KEETJE KUIPERS

We will broaden our poetic horizons through reading and writing, and we’ll dis- Eight sessions POETRY cover our own personal writing goals, be that mastering a craft skill or publishing Tuesdays, Jan 21–Mar 10 a poem in a literary magazine. We will also read each other’s work with a keen 5–7 pm eye, not only to improve these individual poems, but also in order to acquire the General: $380 | Member: $342 invaluable skill of revision as something that can be practiced on your own outside of workshop.

POETRY III JANÉE BAUGHER Are you ready for an intensive workshop? In a supportive atmosphere, we’ll take Ten sessions our poems apart so we can put them back together again. In addition to the work- Tuesdays, Jan 7–Mar 10 shop, you’ll learn the primary, secondary, and tertiary concerns for deep revision, 5–7 pm the language you need to be your own toughest critic, and strategies for pub- General: $460 | Member: $414 lishing. Completing weekly written feedback on your classmates’ poems will be expected.

general

ORDERING POEMS FOR SUBMISSION AND PUBLISHING LISA GLUSKIN STONESTREET All Levels | Bring ten pages of your poems. We’ll discuss and practice techniques One session for ordering manuscripts for submission to journals, contests, and chapbook/ Saturday, Jan 18 book publishing. We’ll look at what the arc of a series or book can tell us about 10 am–3 pm individual poems, and explore techniques for writing with a series or larger project General: $120 | Member: $108 in mind. You’ll then put together a packet of five poems to submit to the journal of your choice. This class includes a lunch break.

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THE POEMS ONLY YOU CAN WRITE: IDENTIFYING WHAT SETS YOU APART LISA GLUSKIN STONESTREET All Levels | This one-session workshop will give you the chance to view your writ- One session ing in the context of your own personal aesthetic(s) and obsessions. We’ll practice Sunday, Jan 19 multiple ways of using these factors to inspire new directions, generate new work, 10 am–1 pm offer more productive and authentic feedback, and create the poems that only you General: $90 | Member: $81 can write.

POETRY WORKSHOP: A SACRED SPACE JEANINE WALKER All Levels | The writing of poetry brings forth our deepest and most vulnerable Six sessions selves; this workshop mirrors that process and provides a sacred space for discus- Tuesdays, Jan 21–Feb 25 sion, appreciation, and critique. In addition to leading a respectful and productive 10 am–12 pm workshop, the instructor will lead the class in generative writing exercises inspired General: $290 | Member: $261 by poems published in contemporary literary journals, including work by poets Solmaz Sharif, Jericho Brown, and Ocean Vuong. All students will have two poems workshopped and engage in one deep revision.

GENERATING ASSOCIATIVE VERSE JUDITH SKILLMAN All Levels | How can we, as poets, access our subconscious minds—the land of Six sessions dream where all that bizarre stuff surfaces? By reading Franz Wright, John Ashbery, Thursdays, Jan 30–Mar 5 Rae Armantrout, Sándor Csoóri, and other poets whose work jumps and leaps, 5–7 pm we’ll explore the process of writing associative verse. We will read abundantly, General: $290 | Member: $261 address prompts, and draft new poems to workshop and revise. The reception and articulation of what is perhaps any poet’s better half—his or her unconscious wishes and desires—will be our goal. POETRY POET AS CONJURER MICHELE BOMBARDIER All Levels | As poets, we have the ability to deploy magic tricks such as raising the Six sessions dead, time travel, and even reincarnation in order to bring power to the page. In Sundays, Feb 2–Mar 8 this class, we will explore various magic tricks and write some magic of our own. We 1–3 pm will look at poems by Samuel Green, Vievee Francis, Adam Zagajewski, Yehoshua General: $290 | Member: $261 November, Dorianne Laux, and others. You will gain supernatural abilities to add to your writing toolbox as well as several new drafts of your own poems.

THE TITLE AS FRAME AND INVITATION ELIZABETH AUSTEN All Levels | Where do great poem titles come from? What makes a title “great,” One session anyway? Through reading and discussing example poems by Angel Nafis, Alice Sunday, Feb 2 Oswald, Lucille Clifton, Thomas Lux and others, we’ll explore this essential and 1–4 pm too-often overlooked craft element. Bring three of your own poems-in-progress, General: $90 | Member: $81 and we’ll practice titling them to entice the reader with a compelling frame and invitation.

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WRITING INTUITIVELY: POET AS RADIO MATT TREASE All Levels | This course will look at writing that taps into what is outside of a writer’s Six sessions conscious control—channeling, divination, somatic ritual, etc. We’ll explore work Wednesdays, Feb 5–Mar 11 by Jack Spicer, Harryette Mullen, and CAConrad, among others. Each week we’ll 5–7 pm engage in writing exercises that aim to break logical expectations and lead to sur- General: $290 | Member: $261 prise. In early weeks, we’ll focus on individual poems, building up to working with linked poems that explore one subject from multiple vantage points.

WRITING WITH SOUTH ASIAN GHAZALS AND QAWWALIS SHANKAR NARAYAN All Levels | This class explores two of the most popular South Asian poetic and Two sessions musical forms. Ghazals will need no introduction to most—but while there has Saturdays, Feb 8–15 been much analysis of the ghazal’s evolution in English, how the ghazal works as 10 am–1 pm popular art is less accessible to Western writers. Qawwalis, on the other hand, are a General: $170 | Member: $153 form of Sufi devotional music whose purpose is to evoke oneness with the divine. We’ll listen to versions of ghazals and qawwalis, read translations, consider what makes these forms work, and create our own new works alongside this incredibly powerful music and verse. Come ready to write. POETRY THE WRITTEN AND THEN SPOKEN WORD GARY COPELAND LILLEY All Levels | Should all poems be read aloud? Yes, indeed. Creating that credible One session voice—a poem that comes alive on the page as well from the mouth—is the goal Saturday, Mar 7 of this workshop. Using innovative prompts, participants in this class will generate 1–4 pm a set of first drafts. We will close-read works from selected poets and writers to General: $90 | Member: $81 create poems that reflect the music, the language and rhythms, and the concerns of a contemporary American life. Writing in the now, we will shape creative pieces with authority that will ring true on the page and in the ear.

DUG UP, CORRUPTED, DISARRANGED: DERIVED POETRY AND ITS FORMS WRYLY MCCUTCHEN Intermediate | In this course we’ll dig up, corrupt, and disarrange existing texts Two sessions through forms like the glossa and Terrance Hayes’s Golden Shovel. We’ll also Saturdays, Mar 14–21 experiment with erasures and collage. Together we’ll look at the approaches and 1–4 pm forms used by Amber Dawn, Srikanth Reddy, and Isobel O’Hare. Our first session General: $170 | Member: $153 will be largely generative; the second will begin with a discussion of plagiarism and recognition. Class will conclude with opportunities for students to share and receive feedback on their derived works.

MOTHERING AS TRANSFORMATION: A POETIC JOURNEY JESSICA GIGOT All Levels | Writing poetry about mothers and the experience of motherhood is One session not easy because the act of mothering/being mothered is both beautiful and com- Saturday, Mar 14 plicated. As more writers explore the lessons unique to this deeply personal pas- 1–4 pm sage and bond, the audience for motherhood poetry expands. In this generative General: $90 | Member: $81 workshop, we will explore motherhood/mothering as transformation, read from a diverse selection of mother-poets, and discuss how and why motherhood matters are relevant to all readers. 21 general

WRITING OUTSIDE THE MAP LAURA DA’ All Levels | This generative writing course uses the conceit of the map as a central Two sessions metaphor for crafting new work and evoking place. The creation, crossing, and Saturdays, Mar 21–28 elimination of boundaries of language, place, and narrative will underpin writing 1–3 pm prompts. Strategies designed to encourage new work and invigorate the revision General: $120 | Member: $108 process will provide opportunities to create new poems and bring a new lens to existing work. This class will include the study of poets including Harjo, Gay, and Montilla.

MUSEUM AS MUSE: WRITING AT THE FRYE DEBORAH WOODARD All Levels | We’ll visit the Frye on Saturday, then workshop the poems generated Four sessions by the visit back at Hugo House on Sunday. Each week, multiple prompts will be Saturdays & Sundays, Mar 21–29 provided; the instructor will be onsite to introduce assignments, answer questions, 1–3 pm and peruse drafts. We’ll write as much as we can, and we’ll learn a lot about one of General: $240 | Member: $216 Seattle’s true gems, the Frye Museum. Remember: Admission to the Frye is always free. POETRY

writers on writing winter/spring 2020

Feb 20 | Gish Jen Politics and Possibility

April 2 | Adam Johnson The Art of Listening

May 21 | Sigrid Nunez Giving Full Play to the Imagination

learn more at hugohouse.org

22 READING LIKE A WRITER

general

READING SHAKESPEARE EVELYNN YUEN All Levels | This reading course will examine the work of William Shakespeare. Ten sessions We’ll start with sections of The Sonnets to get everyone introduced to Shakespearean Saturday, Jan 18–Mar 21 diction, then move into the plays, including King Lear, Titus Andronicus, Hamlet, 10 am–12 pm and Twelfth Night. Class will consist of lively discussions, (optional) performance, General: $460 | Member: $414 and in-class reading so we can hear the words in action. Possible discussion topics will include madness, love, character development, set design, historical context, and whatever else you’re curious about.

TO THE LIGHTHOUSE TOO CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE All Levels | Virginia Woolf ’s To the Lighthouse is one of the greatest novels ever Five sessions written. It’s packed with brilliant thinking about motherhood, men, women, art, Sundays, Jan 26–Feb 23 and the passage of time. Through wide-ranging class discussions, we will explore 1–3 pm how Woolf turned her life into art and what writers can learn from her. Ideal for General: $270 | Member: $243 fiction writers looking for fresh inspiration, this class also works for anyone who simply wants to read this challenging novel in a friendly, book club-like atmo-

sphere. READING

HENRY JAMES AND SALLY ROONEY LIZA BIRNBAUM All Levels | “Chief on my list for the last few years has been Henry James. I feel Four sessions extraordinarily connected to his novels, like my whole life is there.” So says Sally Saturdays, Feb 22–Mar 14 Rooney, the young and celebrated Irish novelist. In this class, we’ll investigate the 1–3 pm mysterious affinity between Rooney and James. We’ll read as writers, considering General: $240 | Member: $216 how these authors and their shared interest in interiority, relationships, and class differences might influence our own work. Expect both lively conversation and in-class creative writing time.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR MORE CLASSES...

We’re adding classes all the time, so be sure to check our online catalog or subscribe to our eNewsletter to get the most up-to-date information on course listings.

23 THE WRITING LIFE

general

GOING PRO: YOUR FREELANCE WRITING BUSINESS PAULETTE PERHACH All Levels | How long have you been fantasizing about being your own boss, work- Ten sessions ing with people you like, and doing what you love from anywhere in the world Mondays, Jan 13–Mar 30 on your own schedule? If this is the year you’re ready to escape your cubicle and [No class Jan 20 & Feb 17] become a professional freelance writer, set yourself up for long-term success with 5–7 pm this intense program. Plan to work 5–10 hours per week to push yourself beyond General: $460 | Member: $414 being a writer and becoming a creative business owner. We’ll set you up with more than two dozen templates, including pitches, invoices, and a Freelancer’s Mission Control Center.

COMMIT TO SUBMIT AMBER FLAME Intermediate / Advanced | This is an intensive session for intermediate and ad- Four sessions vanced writers (with 3–10 final drafts of poems) to create and flesh out a submission Sundays, Jan 19–Feb 9 schedule for their developed work. We will explore advantages and disadvantages 1–3 pm of reading fees, simultaneous submissions, and contests. Students will develop their General: $240 | Member: $216 year-long plan for submitting work for publication. Come with a list of 3–6 poets whose work resonates with your own.

THE ART OF THE QUERY LETTER ADRIA GOETZ All Levels | Writing a great query letter is an art and a science. This workshop One session examines the core elements every strong query letter has; you’ll learn how to add Saturday, Jan 25 the extra pizzazz that will capture the attention of an agent or editor. Real examples 10 am–1 pm from the instructor’s inbox, both good and bad, will be shared, as well as a specific General: $90 | Member: $81 formula workshop attendees can plug their information into in order to generate a great query letter.

HOW TO STICK WITH A LONG-TERM PROJECT SUZANNE MORRISON All Levels | Stamina and patience are among the most important qualities a writer One session can possess. We’ll create strategies for sticking with your writing project until it’s Saturday, Feb 8 THE WRITING LIFE complete. How do you make room for writing in your schedule, how do you keep 1–5 pm your energy up? How do you focus on today’s words when you have tens of thou- General: $120 | Member: $108 sands more to write? Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, this class will give you the tools you need to see it through.

HOW TO GET STARTED AS A FREELANCER (ONLINE) NICOLE DIEKER Introductory | Is it possible to turn freelancing into a full-time job? Four sessions Nicole Dieker has been a full-time freelancer for nearly a decade, and Feb 11–Mar 3 she’ll teach you everything she knows about how freelancers make money; how Online to pitch (even when you don’t have clips); how to build a freelancer schedule that General: $240 | Member: $216 combines writing, pitching, networking, and administrative work; and how to grow your earnings over time. This course takes place online via our partners at Wet Ink, and classes can be completed at your own pace each week.

24 general

SUBMITTING AND TRACKING YOUR WORK JOE PONEPINTO All Levels | This session is designed to help writers search for and familiarize One session themselves with literary journals and track their submissions in an organized and Saturday, Feb 15 efficient way. It will help students create a personal strategy for submitting that 1–4 pm meets their publishing goals. The session will cover fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, General: $90 | Member: $81 including both literary and genre submissions.

HOW TO GET PUBLISHED WITHOUT AN AGENT RICHARD CHIEM All Levels | If you ask ten successful writers how they got their first great work One session published, you will get ten completely different answers. We’ll explore the art of Saturday, Mar 21 crafting the perfect query letter. We will discuss how to maneuver through the 10 am–1 pm

literary world, both online and locally, and how to survive and thrive without General: $90 | Member: $81 THE WRITING LIFE having an MFA or an agent. You will learn new approaches, angles, and methods to getting your work published.

new works on theme

The 2019–2020 Hugo Literary Series season is the second in our new home. Like many of you, we’ve spent the last year thinking a lot about the world we live in, about what separates us and what brings us together.

This season, we’re exploring those separations: What is it that divides us from each other, from what we hope for, dream of, deserve, or crave? And what are we going to do about it?

February 28 » Behind Closed Doors

Anthony Swofford • Mitchell S. Jackson Charles D’Ambrosio • with music by JusMoni

May 29 » Strange Appetites

Karen Russell • Kiese Laymon Tara Conklin • with music by Little Spirits

25 YOUTH WORKSHOPS

Hugo House’s Youth Workshops give middle- and high-school students the space to engage deeply with the written word in fresh and exciting ways. Alongside professional writers and like-minded peers, young people discover new genres, develop essential skills, and unlock their creative voice. To ensure these workshops are affordable to all participants, the fee for each is a flat rate of $60 per person.

middle school (grades 6–8)

VISUAL POETICS: BLACK-OUT, CUT-UP, COLLAGE, CAREEN SIERRA NELSON Borrowing from visual art, performance art, and collaborative techniques, this One session generative poetry class offers innovative prompts to spark new writing and fun Saturday, February 8 ways to expand your poetry toolbox. Finding inspiration in diverse sources, in- 1–4 pm cluding erasures by Mary Ruefle and Jen Bervin, installations by Jane Wong and Price: $60 Jenny Holzer, and visual forms by Apollinaire and Tyehimba Jess, this workshop culminates in at least three new drafts and a final guerilla-style approach to sharing our work. All levels of experience welcome.

CREATION STORIES: BETWEEN STARDUST AND EARTH GISELLE CASTAÑO We will dive into the world of the night sky by learning about the major con- One session stellations and the stories that our ancient ancestors told. We will read creation Saturday, February 29 stories from different cultures around the world. Through exploring these myths 1–4 pm and creation stories, you will discover why the stars above were so important to Price: $60 human existence—and why they still are! Students will write their own original story based on a specific constellation of their choice.

high school (grades 9–12)

DRAWING OUT THE GHOSTS: MAGICAL REALISM IN FLASH FICTION KAREN FINNEYFROCK A school where the teachers are three hundred years old, a lake at summer camp One session infested with Nixies—does your creative mind see magic everywhere? In this work- Saturday, February 1 shop we will write very short pieces (flash fiction) in which the realistic, mundane 1–4 pm

YOUTH WORKSHOPS YOUTH world becomes inexplicably infused with the exquisite or sinister supernatural. Price: $60 Lighting our mysterious path will be writers like Kelly Link, Kathleen Alcalá, and Italo Calvino. Expect writing exercises and an opportunity to share your work (no critique).

INTRO TO COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS GREG STUMP Students will learn the basics of character creation and visual storytelling, making One session two comics in the process (one fictional/imaginative, and one autobiographical). Saturday, March 7 Topics covered include symbols, expressions, word/picture relationships, and 1–4 pm drawing people. We’ll look at work by artists like Jim Woodring, Gabrielle Bell, Price: $60 Lynda Barry, John Porcellino, and others along the way for inspiration. Suitable for all levels of all ability, from novice to experienced artist.

26 high school (grades 9–12)

DIY PUBLISHING LAB LIZA BIRNBAUM This class is a crash course in gathering creative work (yours and/or other people’s) One session and putting it out into the world. We’ll do some hands-on exploration of excellent Sunday, March 15 old-school methods (zines and more!); consider what lessons we can learn from 1–4 pm literary magazines, websites, and small presses; and ask big and exciting questions Price: $60 about the what, why, and how of being curators and distributors. You’ll leave with a mission statement and a plan for your own publishing project.

BREATHING FIRE DAEMOND ARRINDELL Spoken Word is the melding of the craft of powerful writing and the art of perfor- One session mance. Learn how to take a piece of writing and bring it to life onstage in your own Saturday, March 28 style, as well as how to use performance as a tool for editing. We will begin with 1–4 pm YOUTH WORKSHOPS writing activities then move into performance practice. All levels welcome, no prior Price: $60 experience needed. You will leave with concrete tips for at least one performance poem and tools to apply to your future performance practice.

SCRIBES SUMMER WRITING CAMPS 2020

Hugo House fostered my internal drive to create poems and stories to share “ with my community. It was a beginning of sorts for me…I learned how much I truly wanted to write and that there were people there to support me.

—Scribes student

FOR YOUTH GRADES 6–12 Scholarships available

Early Bird registration opens Feb 4 » Learn more at hugohouse.org/teen

27 WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE

Receive writing guidance and advice from one of our writers-in-residence, free of charge. Writers- in-residence are available for appointments through June 15, 2020. For more information, visit hugohouse.org, or write to one of our residents at the emails below.

Laura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied creative writing at the University of Washington and The Institute of American Indian Arts. Da’ is Eastern Shawnee. She is a recipient of fellowships from the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Artist Trust, Hugo House, and the Jack Straw Writers Program. Her first book, Tributaries, won the 2016 American Book Award. Her newest book is Instruments of the True Measure, published by the University of Arizona Press. To schedule an appointment, email [email protected]

POETRY

Kristen Millares Young is the author of Subduction, forthcoming from Red Hen Press in spring 2020. An essayist and journalist, her work has been featured by the Guardian, the New York Times, Crosscut, Hobart, Moss, Pacifica Literary Review, KUOW 94.9-FM, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Miami Herald, the Buenos Aires Herald, and Time magazine. Her personal essays are anthologized in Pie & Whiskey: Writers Under the Influence of Butter & Booze(Sasquatch Books), a New York Times New & Notable Book, and Latina Outsiders: Remaking Latina Identity (Routledge). She teaches at Hugo House, the Port Townsend Writers’ Conference, and the Seattle Public Library. From 2016 to 2019, Kristen served as board chair of PROSE InvestigateWest, a nonprofit news studio she cofounded in the Pacific Northwest. Kristen’s 2020 schedule is booked. Prose writers in need of consultation should look to our manuscript consultants for assistance.

RESOURCES MANUSCRIPT CONSULTANTS

Connect with one of our manuscript consultants—all experienced teachers and writers—to receive one-on-one guidance for your works-in-progress; applying for awards, residencies, or MFA programs; submitting to agents, magazines, or publishers; or other writerly concerns. Select consultants are also available for line and copyediting services. To see the full list of consultants and services offered, visit bit.ly/manuscriptconsultants.

WRITE WITH HUGO HOUSE

Looking for ongoing inspiration, feedback, and ways to connect with other writers? Attend one of our free drop-in writing circles, presented in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Bring something you’re working on, or just come ready to write. You will have the opportunity to share your work and get feedback—but only if you want to (no pressure). You can also use this time to increase productivity on your current work-in-progress, surrounded by fellow writers. Write with Hugo House sessions take place at select Seattle Public Library branches. For location and schedule information, visit bit.ly/WriteHugoHouse.

28 Anastacia-Reneé is a writer, workshop Stephanie Barbé Hammer is a novelist, Gary Copeland Lilley is the author of facilitator, and multivalent performance art- poet, and teacher. She lives on Whidbey eight books of poetry, the most recent being ist. She is the author of three books: Forget Island but is originally from NYC. She is TheB ushman’s Medicine Show (Lost Horse It (Black Radish Books, 2017), (v.) (Gramma managing editor of Shark Reef literary Press, 2017). His anthology and journal pub- Press, 2017), and Answer(Me) (Winged City magazine. lications include Best American Poetry 2014. Chapbooks, Argus Press, 2017). He is a Cave Canem fellow. Janée J. Baugher is the author of two po- Jordan Alam is a queer Bangladeshi etry collections, Coördinates of Yes (Ahadada Laura Da’ is a poet and teacher. A lifetime American writer, performer, and social change Books, 2010) and The Body’s Physics (Tebot resident of the Pacific Northwest, Da’ studied educator based in Seattle. Their work engages Bach, 2013), and she holds an MFA from creative writing at the University of Wash- with moments of rupture and transformation Eastern Washington University. Her writing ington and the Institute of American Indian in the lives of people on the margins. Their has been published in over 100 journals, Arts. Da’ is Eastern Shawnee. Her first book, short stories and articles have been published including Boulevard, Nano Fiction, the Tributaries, won the 2016 American Book in the Atlantic, CultureStrike, the Rumpus, Writer’s Chronicle, and the American Journal Award. Her newest book is Instruments of the and AAWW’s TheM argins, among others. of Poetry. True Measure (Univ. of Arizona Press, 2018).

Kathleen Alcalá is the author of a Jeff Bender is a fiction and humor writer Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer, the short story collection, three novels, an essay whose work has appeared in McSweeney’s editor of TheB illfold, and the host of the collection, and a nonfiction book on our Internet Tendency, the Iowa Review, Electric Writing & Money podcast. ABOUT OUR TEACHERS relationship with food and the land. Her Literature, Guernica, and City Arts. He is work has received the Western States Book a former Writers-in-the-Schools resident Scott Driscoll is the author of the novel Award, the Governor’s Writers Award, and and winner of Hugo House’s New Works Better You Go Home (Coffeetown Press, a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Competition. He lives outside Philadelphia. 2013), which was the Foreword Review’s Book Award. First Book Contest winner. His stories and Tawnya Bhattacharya is a screenwriter essays have been published in journals and an- Sarah Allen is the author of the middle and the co-executive producer of Ginny thologies, including Image, Far From Home, grade novel What Stars are Made of (FSG/ & Georgia (Netflix). She and her writing Ex-Files: New Stories About Old Flames, the Macmillan, 2019). She received an MFA in partner, Ali Laventhol, have written for A Seattle Review, Cimarron Review, Gulfst- creative writing from Brigham Young Univer- Million Little Things (ABC), The Night ream, American Fiction ’88, and others. sity and is represented by Brianne Johnson at Shift (NBC), Perception (TNT), and Writers House. Fairly Legal (USA), and others. She has John Farnsworth retired from the faculty taught screenwriting for the Disney | ABC of Santa Clara University, where his chair was Steve Almond is the author of ten books Writing Program, the Producer’s Guild, the in Environmental Writing and Literature. of fiction and nonfiction, including the New Austin Film Festival, the Willamette Writers Through the Comstock Publishing Associates York Times bestsellers Candyfreak (Harvest Conference, the International Screenwriters imprint of Cornell University Press, he Books, 2004) and Against Football (Melville Association, and more. recently published Coves of Departure: Field House, 2015). His newest book is William Notes from theS ea of Cortez. His next book, Stoner and the Battle for the Inner Life. Liza Birnbaum’s work has appeared in Web The Far Side of Solitude: Notes from theF ield Steve’s short stories have appeared in the Best Conjunctions, jubilat, Open Letters Monthly, will be released by Cornell in spring 2020. American Short Stories and Pushcart Prize and other publications. She is a founding anthologies. His essays have appeared in the editor of Big Big Wednesday, a journal of Karen Finneyfrock is the author of two New York Times Magazine and elsewhere. literature and art, and holds an MFA from the young adult novels: The Sweet Revenge of University of Massachusetts Amherst. Celia Door and Starbird Murphy and the Daemond Arrindell is a writer, World Outside (Viking Children’s Books). performer, and teaching artist. He’s written Michele Bombardier’s What We Do She is a former writer-in-residence at Hugo for City Arts, Crosscut, Poetry Northwest, and (Kelsay Books, 2018) is described by Ellen House and teaches for the WITS program. Seattle Review of Books. Daemond is adjunct Bass as “a call to empathy” and considers faculty at Seattle University; a 2013 Jack themes of survival in the aftermath of loss Waverly Fitzgerald has published ten Straw Writer; and a 2014 VONA/Voices and change. Michele is the founder of novels. She has been awarded a grant from Writer’s Workshop fellow. Fishplatepoetry, a social purpose organization Artist Trust, a fellowship from Jack Straw offering workshops and retreats while raising Cultural Center, and residencies from Cen- Tara Atkinson is the author of two money for humanitarian relief. trum and Hedgebrook for her essays. chapbooks–Bedtime Stories (Alice Blue, 2012) and Boyfriends (Instant Future, 2017). Giselle Castaño is an educator and Amber Flame is a multimedia artist whose Her work has appeared in Hobart, City Arts, astrologer. Giselle has been teaching reading, work has garnered artistic merit residencies Fanzine, HTML Giant, the Iowa Review, writing, and history since 2007 in many with Hedgebrook, The Watering Hole, and elsewhere. She cofounded the indepen- different settings, including public, private, Vermont Studio Center, and Yefe Nof. Flame dent literature festival, APRIL, and served as and charter schools. is a queer Black single mama one magic trick managing director from 2011 to 2016. away from growing her unicorn horn. Richard Chiem is the author of You Elizabeth Austen traveled the state as Private Person (Sorry House Classics, 2012) Raymond Fleischmann’s debut novel Washington’s poet laureate for 2014–16, and and the novel King of Joy (Soft Skull Press, How Quickly She Disappears is forthcoming is the author of Every Dress a Decision (Blue 2019). His work has appeared in City Arts, from Penguin Random House this January. Begonia, 2011), which was a finalist for the NY Tyrant, and Gramma Poetry, among He’s published short fiction in theIowa Washington State Book Award. New poems other places. You Private Person was named Review, Cimarron Review, the Pinch, and are forthcoming in New England Review and one of Publishers Weekly’s 10 Essential Books the Los Angeles Review, among many others, Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden. of the American West. He lives in Seattle. and was a Hugo Fellow in 2013–2014. 29 Eilis Flynn has written fiction in the form Mitchell S. Jackson’s debut novel The Laura Lampton Scott’s work has of comic book stories, novels, and short Residue Years (Bloomsbury USA, 2013) appeared in publications including Michigan stories. She’s also a professional editor with 40 received wide critical praise. Jackson is the Quarterly Review, Tin House Online, and years’ experience. winner of a Whiting Award; his honors Notre Dame Review. She served as senior include fellowships from the Lannan Foun- associate editor for the oral history Lavil: Gail Folkins often writes about her deep dation, PEN America, New York Foundation Life, Love and Death in Port-au-Prince roots in the American West. She is the author for the Arts, and The Center for Fiction, (Verso, 2017). She’s a MacDowell Colony of the memoir Light in the Trees (2016), among others. His writing has appeared in the fellow. named a 2016 Foreword Indies finalist in New Yorker, Harpers, the Paris Review, the the nature category, and Texas Dance Halls: Guardian, and elsewhere. His book Survival Piper Lane holds an MFA from the A Two-Step Circuit (2007), both from Texas Math: Notes on an All-American Family was University of Washington and an MA from Tech University Press. published by Scribner in 2019. Ohio University. She coordinated the reading series Castalia, cofounded the Black Jaw Lit Christopher Frizzelle is the editor of Gish Jen is the author of six previous books Series, and served as prose editor for the the print edition of TheS tranger. He edited and has published short work in the New Seattle Review. She teaches creative writing a feature story that won a Pulitzer Prize in Yorker, the Atlantic, and dozens of other at UW. She won UW’s Eugene Van Buren 2012. He is the coauthor of How to Be a periodicals and anthologies. Her work has award for fiction and Ohio University’s Person (Penguin Random House, 2012), with appeared in The Best American Short Stories LitFest Nonfiction essay contest. Dan Savage and Lindy West. He is also the four times, including The Best American inventor and host of the silent-reading party. Short Stories of the Century, edited by John David Lasky has been writing and drawing Updike. Nominated for a National Book comics for the last 25 years. He coauthored Alma García is a writing teacher, manu- Critics’ Circle Award, her work was featured the graphic novel Carter Family: Don’t Forget script consultant, and violin instructor. A in a PBS American Masters special on the This Song (Abrams ComicArts, 2012), which former newspaper reporter/editor, her short American novel, and is widely taught. won comics’ Eisner Award. fiction has earned awards fromN arrative, Passages North, Boulevard, and elsewhere. Sonora Jha is the author of the novel Margot Leitman is an award-winning She is in the final stages of revising a novel. Foreign (Random House India, 2013). She is storyteller, author, speaker and teacher. An a professor of journalism at Seattle University. expert in the field of storytelling, Leitman has Jessica Gigot is a poet, farmer, and teacher. Apart from her academic writing and journal- written two books on the subject: the best- Her small farm produces artisan sheep cheese ism, she is writing a second novel. Sonora was selling Long Story Short: the Only Storytelling and herbs. Her first book of poems is called Hugo House writer-in-residence 2016–18. Guide You’ll Ever Need and her latest What’s Flood Patterns (Antrim House, 2015) and Your Story? A Workbook for the Storyteller in her writing appears in publications including Ruth Joffre is the author of the story All of Us, both from Sasquatch Books. Her Orion, Gastronomica, and Poetry Northwest. collection Night Beast (Black Cat, 2018). comedic memoir, Gawky…Tales of an Extra Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Long Awkward Phase is available from Seal Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet is the author Kenyon Review, Prairie Schooner, the Masters Press/ Perseus Books. of TheG reenhouse (Bull City Press, 2016) Review, Lightspeed, Hayden’s Ferry Review, and Tulips, Water, Ash (Northeastern Mid-American Review, Nashville Review, Courtney Maum is the author of the University Press, 2009). Her poems have ap- Copper Nickel, PANK, and elsewhere. novels Costalegre (Tin House Books, 2019), peared in journals including Plume, Zyzzyva, Touch (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017), I Am the Kenyon Review, and multiple anthologies. Margot Kahn is the author of the Having So Much Fun Here Without You She lives in Portland, where she cohosts the biography Horses That Buck (University of (Touchstone, 2014), and the chapbook reading series Lilla Lit. Oklahoma Press, 2008), winner of the High Notes from Mexico. Her writing and essays Plains Best First Book Award, and coeditor have been widely published in such outlets Adria Goetz is a literary agent with Martin of This Is the Place: Women Writing About as BuzzFeed, the New York Times, O, The Literary & Media Management. She rep- Home (Seal Press, 2017), a New York Times Oprah Magazine, and Interview. resents books for both the Christian market Book Review Editors’ Choice. and the general market, including picture Wryly T. McCutchen is a hybrid books, middle grade, young adult, quirky gift Anne Liu Kellor has received support writer, interdisciplinary performer, and 2018 books, and devotionals. She graduated from from Hedgebrook, Jack Straw, 4Culture, and Lambda Writers Retreat Fellow. Their work the University of Washington with a BA in Hypatia. Her memoir was selected as first has appeared in Foglifter, Tiferet journal, and ABOUT OUR TEACHERS English with a creative writing emphasis. runner-up by Cheryl Strayed in Kore Press’s Nat. Brut. My Ugly and Other Love Snarls 2018 contest. Her essays have appeared in (University of Hell Press, 2017) is their debut Tara Hardy, 2017 Washington State Fourth Genre, Normal School, Vela, and more. poetry collection. Book Award winner, is a former Hugo House writer-in-residence, Seattle Poet Populist, and Wendy Kendall is a mystery author, Susan V. Meyers’s first novel,F ailing the Hedgebrook alumna. She teaches for Univer- blogger, editor, and speaker. She interviews Trapeze (Southeast Missouri State University sity Beyond Bars, Hugo House, Path With mystery authors on her podcast, Kendall & Press, 2014), won the Nilsen Award, and Art, Seattle Central College, and Seattle’s Cooper Talk Mysteries. She is a columnist for she has received grants from the National LGBTQ Center. My Edmonds News’s Recommended Reads. Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright, 4Culture, Artist Trust, and several artists’ res- Jennifer Haupt is the author of a novel Keetje Kuipers is the author of three idencies. She also directs Seattle University’s and a memoir, and curates the One True books of poems. A former Stegner Fellow, her creative writing program. Thing blog forP sychology Today. Her essays work has appeared in the New York Times have appeared in O, the Oprah Magazine, Magazine and the Pushcart Prize and Best Rebecca Morris is a New York Parenting, the Rumpus, The Seattle Times, American Poetry anthologies. Keetje is senior Times-bestselling true crime author and Spirituality & Health, and the Sun. editor at Poetry Northwest. veteran print and broadcast journalist. 30 Suzanne Morrison is the author of Yoga Ana Pastor, a Barcelona native, studied Michael Shilling is the author of the Bitch (Three Rivers Press, 2011), which European theater, playwriting, and literature. novel Rock Bottom (Back Bay Books, 2009). was an Indiebound bestseller and has been She wrote and directed “El Oyente” (2006), His stories have been published in the Sun, translated into seven languages. Her fiction and a free adaptation of a Jean-Paul Sartre Fugue, and Other Voices. He is currently and essays have appeared in American Short play (2010). Her short story “La noche del writing a screenplay. Fiction, Litro UK, Popshot (UK), Salt Hill, elefante” received the 2011 Fungible award. Washington Square, the Chicago Tribune, the She is a translator and a Spanish language Judith Skillman’s new books are Premise HuffingtonP ost, and elsewhere. teacher, and writing fiction is her passion. of Light (Tebot Bach, 2018); and Came Home to Winter (Deerbrook Editions, 2019). Her Charles Mudede is a Zimbabwean-born Michelle Peñaloza’s poetry has appeared poems have appeared in Southern Review, filmmaker, writer. His films,P olice Beat or is forthcoming in the New England Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Zyzyyva, and and Zoo, premiered at Sundance—Zoo at Review, the Asian American Literary Review, elsewhere. She is the recipient of grants from Cannes. Mudede, an editor for TheS tranger, TriQuarterly, and elsewhere. She is the Artist Trust and the Academy of American has contributed to the New York Times, LA recipient of fellowships and scholarships from Poets. Weekly, Village Voice, and e-flux. Kundiman, Hugo House, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, among others. Peñaloza Erica Sklar writes, organizes, and scouts Shankar Narayan explores identity, has been teaching since 2005. out wildlife around Seattle. You can find her power, mythology, and technology in a on Twitter @_sklarface_. world where bodies are flung across borders. Paulette Perhach’s writing has been in ABOUT OUR TEACHERS A Kundiman, Hugo House, Flyway, Paper the New York Times, Elle, McSweeney’s In- Beth Slattery is a writer, editor, and Nautilus, and 4Culture awardee, Shankar ternet Tendency, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, writing coach whose work has appeared in loves his mirror homes of Cascadia and Delhi. and Vice. Her book is Welcome to the Writer’s Assay: A Journal of NonfictionS tudies and Life (Sasquatch Books, 2018), selected as one Southern Women’s Review. Before moving Sierra Nelson’s books include I Take Back of Poets & Writers’s Best Books for Writers. to Seattle, she taught creative writing for the Sponge Cake (Rose Metal Press, 2012) eighteen years at Indiana University East. and The Lachrymose Report (PoetryNW Joe Ponepinto edits a literary journal Editions, 2018). Nelson is also president of named Orca and was the founding fiction Kim Stafford is the author of a dozen the Cephalopod Appreciation Society and editor of Tahoma Literary Review, a literary books of poetry and prose, including Early cofounder of the performance art troupe Vis- journal. He has had two novels published and Morning: Remembering My Father, William a-Vis Society. stories in forty literary journals. Stafford (Graywolf Press, 2002). He teaches writing and cultural inquiry at Lewis & Clark BJ Neblett is the author of numerous short Natanya Ann Pulley is Diné College in Portland, Oregon. stories and several books of contemporary (Kinyaa’áani and Táchii’nii). She teaches at fiction, fantasy and sci-fi exploring the ines- Colorado College and loves living near the Greg Stump is a longtime contributor to capable realities of irony in everyday life. The mountains. Her story collection With Teeth The Stranger, the cocreator of the comic first book of hisP lanet Alt-Sete-Nine trilogy was published by New Rivers Press in 2019. series Urban Hipster, and a former writer and is now available. editor for the Comics Journal. His graphic Ingrid Ricks is a memoir author, book novel Disillusioned Illusions was published by Kevin O’Brien is the New York Times and coach, and speaker. Her memoirs include the Fantagraphics in 2015. USA Today bestselling author of 20 thrillers. bestseller Hippie Boy (Berkley, 2011) and His work has been translated into eleven Focus (RC Strategies Group, 2012), a memoir Anthony Swofford is the author of different languages. He served on the board about her journey with a blinding eye disease. the memoirs Jarhead (Scribner, 2003) and of Seattle 7 Writers. His latest thriller is The She has also ghostwritten several memoirs. Hotels, Hospitals, and Jails (Twelve, 2012) Betrayed Wife (Pinnacle, 2019). and the novel Exit A (Scribner, 2007). SassyBlack is a vocalist, composer, pro- Swofford’s writing has appeared inH arpers, Nicholas O’Connell is the author of ducer, and educator. She has been billed the the Guardian, Slate, and the New York the novel TheS torms of Denali (University “hardest working” performer on the West Times, among other places. He has taught of Alaska Press, 2012) and several nonfiction Coast and with praise from Nylon, the Fader, at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and West books. He contributes to Outside, National Okayplayer, Pitchfork, Essence, and others. Virginia University. Geographic, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times. He teaches for Angela Sells, PhD, is a women’s studies Anca L. Szilágyi is the author of www.thewritersworkshop.net, among other professor, author, and musician. She is the Daughters of the Air (Lanternfish, 2017). Her places. cofounder of the Open Book Press, chair of prose appears in Lilith magazine, Los Angeles Goddess Studies for the American Academy Review of Books, and Electric Literature, Madeline Ostrander’s work has of Religion’s Western Region, and a book among other publications. She is the recipient appeared in the New Yorker, the Sun, the reviewer for the Journal of Popular Culture. of awards from Artist Trust, 4Culture, Jack Nation, and Seattle Met. She is at work on a Her book Sabina Spielrein: TheW oman Straw Cultural Center, Hugo House, and book, to be published by Henry Holt & Co., and the Myth was published by SUNY Press Vermont Studio Center. about climate change and the idea of home. in 2017. She is also the drummer for local Seattle band Atrocity Girl. Neal Thompson is the author of five Andrew Palmer’s writing has appeared books, most recently the memoir, Kickflip in Slate, Salon, the San Francisco Chronicle, Zain Shamoon completed his PhD in Boys (Ecco, 2018). A former newspaper and McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. He Human Development and Family Studies in reporter, Neal’s journalism has appeared has received a fellowship from the Fine Arts 2017. He is a mental health professional and in Esquire, Outside, and the Wall Street Work Center in Provincetown, and he has spoken word artist. In 2015, he launched the Journal, among many other publications. been awarded residencies at UCross and Narratives of Pain project. Currently, he is a He’s writing a book about the Irish immigrant Yaddo. professor at Antioch University Seattle. Kennedys. He lives in Seattle with his family. 31 Matt Trease is an artist and astrologer. He Joshua Marie Wilkinson is the author Kristen Millares Young is the author serves on the board of the Seattle Poetics Lab of eight books and is the 2019 Mellon of Subduction (Red Hen Press, 2020). She is and cocurates the MarginShift reading series. Scholar-in-Residence at Rhodes University, Hugo House’s prose writer-in-residence. Her Poems are in Phoebe, Fact-Simile, Hotel South Africa. work appears in the Washington Post, the Amerika, Juked, and the anthology, Make-It- Guardian, Crosscut, and elsewhere. Kristen True Meets Medusario (Pleasure Boat Studio, Deborah Woodard’s most recent books was the researcher for the Pulitzer-winning 2019). are No Finis: Triangle Testimonies, 1911 NYT team that produced “Snow Fall.” (Ravenna Press, 2018) and Obtuse Diary Sarah Townsend is the author of Setting (Entre Rios Books, 2018) from the Italian Arianne Zwartjes teaches for Sierra the Wire: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis of Amelia Rosselli. A two-time Jack Straw Nevada College’s MFA program. She wrote (Lettered Streets Press, 2019). Setting the fellow, she holds a doctorate from the the lyric nonfiction, medical-humanities Wire has been featured on The Ish with University of Washington. book Detailing Trauma: A Poetic Anatomy Cameron Dezen Hammon and in the Chicago (University of Iowa Press, 2012). Her writing Review of Books. Carolyne Wright’s latest book is This won the Gulf Coast Nonfiction Prize and has Dream the World: New & Selected Poems been a Best American Essays Notable. Jeanine Walker was a 2015 Jack Straw (Lost Horse Press, 2017). She has sixteen Writer and has published poems in Cimarron earlier books and anthologies of poetry, Review, Narrative, Pleiades, and Web Con- essays, and translation; in 2018 she held an junctions. She holds a PhD in creative writing Instituto Sacatar residency fellowship in from the University of Houston and teaches Brazil. for Writers in the Schools. Diana Xin holds an MFA from the Jess Walter is the author of eight books, University of Montana. Her fiction has including the 2013 #1 New York Times best- appeared in Gulf Coast, Narrative, Alaska seller, Beautiful Ruins (Harper, 2012); The Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She was Zero (2006), finalist for the 2006 National named winner of Third Coast’s 2017 fiction Book Award; and Citizen Vince (2004), win- contest. She is a contributing editor to Moss ner of the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award. Lit and a 2015 Hugo fellow.

Rachel Werner is the content marketing Eve Yuen received her MFA in poetry from specialist at Taliesin; guest faculty at The Cornell University, where she also taught for Highlights Foundation; a 2018 We Need three years. She is at work on a book about Diverse Books mentorship finalist; and a light and a book about trans poetics. Her 2017 World Food Championship judge. For- poems have appeared in the Seattle Review, merly the digital editor for BRAVA, she has TAB: The Journal of Poetry and Poetics, and contributed content to Madison magazine, other publications. She lives and writes in Entrepreneurial Chef, and BLK+GRN. Seattle. ABOUT OUR TEACHERS

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