This class is a space for us to write through personal crisis, past or present. We sometimes come to a time in our lives where we find that our self, as presently constructed, is not sufficient to go on. Then we stand, not sure who we are, at the threshold of the unbearable. Perhaps we are here because of illness, or gender transition, or new parenthood, or a beloved's death. Perhaps it's because of personal failure, or failure of a belief system, or defiance of family-- or remembering or encountering a trauma, or aging, or perhaps we aren't sure there's a reason at all. The prose we need to write these times might elude us. It might ask us, "What is prose?" It might become the most exciting, heartbreaking, ecstatic prose we've ever written.

In this class, we'll find inspiration or conversation in the crisis prose of Akwaeke Emezi, Terese Maihot, Shruti Swamy, Kiese Laymon, Carolina Ebeid, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, and writers you recommend. In our generative writing workshop we will create a shared presence, an openness to one another's suffering and transformation. You'll write at least three new rough pages a week, and we’ll discuss selections from your new writing four times during the class. Our workshops, intended to inspire and quicken new work, will be shorter than traditional workshops and with an explicit focus on affirmation. In addition to reading your classmates' submissions, you'll receive a few pages of prose to read weekly from one of the authors mentioned above. Writers in all genres are welcome.

This is a 8-week long workshop starting on Tuesday, October 4th from 6:00 PM–8:30 PM ET. This workshop is open to all writers of color.

Check out the class page for more information. To see all of our fall and spring classes, visit kundiman online class page.