6-Week Nonfiction Workshop: The Long-Form Essay
Date & Time
Mondays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Mar. 18 - Apr. 22
2019
Class Size
8 Students
Mondays, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Mar. 18 - Apr. 22
2019
8 Students
When it seems like everyone you know is writing personal essays online, it can feel like a big leap to go from short-form internet writing to the type of essays that usually end up in books or anthologies by folks like Roxane Gay, Rebecca Solnit, and Alexander Chee. In a time when short-form pieces seem to dominate the internet, how can we write in a way that holds the reader’s attention all the way through a long-form story?
Through readings, discussions, and analysis of your work, this workshop will guide you towards the long essay form and the various ways that a nugget of personal history can be the root of a work that's more ambitious and expansive. This class is best-suited for writers with some workshop experience. Folks who are working on memoir chapters are also welcome. Each writer will have the opportunity to workshop twice throughout the six-week course, and will meet with the instructor for an individual conference.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Greater understanding of the long-form essay
- The confidence to write long-form personal essays and memoir chapters
- Detailed feedback from your peers and instructor
- Advice on how to pitch and publish long-form journalism
- Access to Catapult’s list of writing opportunities and important submission deadlines, as well as a 10% discount on all future Catapult classes
Meredith Talusan is the author of Fairest: A Memoir from Viking/Penguin Random House, a 2020 Lambda Literary Award Finalist, and the founding executive editor of them., Condé Nast's LGBTQ+ digital platform, where she is currently contributing editor.
"Meredith routinely gives detailed, insightful, and decisive feedback. They also have the rare ability to both articulate artistic nuance and suggest ways to give a piece of writing commercial life."
"Meredith is such an incredible writer, thinker, and mentor--smart and generous in equal degree. As I've moved from being a radio reporter to writing book-length nonfiction, I've been constantly supported by her incisive feedback and inspired by her sharp, creative writing style."
"Meredith gives honest, detailed feedback, drawing on her experience as a writer and editor as well as her background in science and the arts. She makes connections others might not see, providing valuable insight to nonfiction writers."
