Class Description
From Shakespeare’s bubbling crones to the teenage Sabrina, the figure of the witch garners ongoing fascination and intrigue. This course asks about the sources of that fascination. We will center on the figure of the witch as she appears–often behind the scenes–in contemporary literary fiction written for adults. Through reading and discussion, we investigate ways that witches drive the action of the text, often representing vexed sites for the intersection of cultural anxieties about gender, race, social class, age, and the proper role of parents.
Texts include Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Marie NDaiye’s The Witch and Percival Everett’s The Trees (both shortlisted for the Booker Prize), Helen Oyoyemi’s Gingerbread, and Laurie Foos’ Blue Girl. All are available as both print and audiobooks.
Alix Anne Shaw has been a writer and teacher for over twenty years. She is the author of three poetry collections: Rough Ground (Etruscan 2018), Dido in Winter (Persea 2014), and Undertow (Persea 2007). Her work has appeared in journals including Harvard Review, Black Warrior Review, Denver Quarterly, and Fence.
All virtual classes are recorded and made available to participants registered in the class. These recordings are password-protected and available for up to two weeks after the class ends.
What to Expect
Format: Virtual
Class Capacity: 15
Class Style: Mostly discussion; participation-based
Materials List
- Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Penguin, 2006. ISBN: 9780143039976
- Marie NDaiye, The Witch. Vintage, 2026. ISBN: 9798217006809
- Helen Oyeyemi, Gingerbread. Riverhead Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781594634659
- Percival Everett, The Trees. Graywolf, 2021. ISBN: 9781644450642
- Laurie Foos, Blue Girl. Coffee House Press, 2015. ISBN: 9781566893992
- Additional Instructor-Distributed Materials
First Assignment
- Please read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, and consider the following questions: Who are the witches in the text, and how do we know? Does MaryCat have any real powers, and if so, what are they? Does the book suggest that witches are born or made by those around them?
- Please read the following excerpts from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. As you read, ask yourself what powers the witches do—or don't—have and how we are able to identify them as witches:
A Brief Syllabus
- What is A Witch?
- Marie NDaiye, The Witch
- Helen Oyoyemi, Gingerbread
- Percival Everett, The Trees
- Laurie Foos, Blue Girl
- Conclusions
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $245 ($220.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($225), and Sponsor ($265). 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.
Having trouble signing up? Take a look at our step-by-step guide to registration by clicking here.
RegisterThe views and opinions expressed in this class and/or by the instructor are not necessarily representative of the Newberry. We aim to ensure that in our classes, participants can have respectful disagreement to foster critical thinking. This is a space to challenge and expand our own worldviews to work towards better understanding and appreciating humanity.
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