Class Description
In this four week generative workshop, we will view the postcard as a metaphor for writing short works of poetry and flash fiction. During each class, we will generate short poems and flash pieces that reflect who we are at a place and moment in time and that attempt to establish a connection between ourselves and our readers. Through a combination of generative exercises, craft lessons, and discussion of readings by writers like Harryette Mullen, Clarice Lispector, and Raymond Queneau, we will learn first how to put ourselves onto the page, and second how to let go of a singular image of ourselves and our work. Because at the end of the day, once we send our writing out into the world, it ceases to belong to us. Students will all have the opportunity to workshop at least one piece of writing and will finish the class with a deeper understanding of their relationship to their work, from drafting to revision.
Caleb Berg is a writer and educator from Richmond, CA. He received his MFA in fiction from the University of Houston, where he was an Inprint Isabel M. Elkins fellow. His work appears online in Gulf Coast and Emerge Literary Journal. Above all else, he writes to make himself and his friends happy.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 12
Class Style: Workshop; participation- and assignment-based
Materials List
Required
- Instructor-Distributed Materials
First Reading
- Please read the poems “marry at a hotel annul ‘em” by Harryette Mullen and “Archaic Torso of Apollo” by Rainer Maria Rilke for the first session of class.
Cost and Registration
4 Sessions, $240 ($216 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($240), Community Supported ($220), and Sponsor ($260). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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