The Grotesque: A Creative Writing Course

Every week, we'll discuss an excerpt from a book or a short story that highlights different possibilities within the unusual grotesque. We will discuss the grotesque's power to critique culture, discuss writing techniques, and dive into writing and daydreaming prompts curated to complement our conversations and enliven your writing.

It’s important to me that this class be genuinely enjoyable and energizing for my students. The topics at hand interest me because they aren’t stagnant, they don’t live separately from us. They’re universal and individual. No matter your level of experience with literature or writing, this class is designed to allow your imagination, your perspective, and your stories to shine. Every week, we’ll hone in on an aspect of how the grotesque is used and how you can use it, too. I’ll teach you tricks that will make your stories gallop, froth, and crackle off the page.

From the funny to the frightening, together, we will “stand at a margin of consciousness between the known and the unknown, the perceived and the unperceived” and we won't avert our eyes.

Syllabus includes: Katherine Dunn, Michael Ondaatje, Max Porter, Kelly Link, Flannery O'Connor, Kafka, cave paintings, fairy tales, Francis Bacon, Michelangelo and Carmen Maria Machado.

We'll discuss the images used on the class flyer and my homepage in class. Both are the works of the fantastic surrealist painter Remedios Varo.