Class Description

Many a short story, essay, novel, and memoir have gone unpublished because the author fails to create a strong narrator, one who can act as a wise and entertaining guide to the reader. In this class, we’ll examine the work of Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Joan Didion, Alicia Erian and others in an effort to make sure your next narrator isn’t just strong, but irresistible. We’ll also try an in-class exercise to bring the lesson home. Instructor bio: Steve Almond [stevealmondjoy.org] is the author of twelve books of fiction and non-fiction including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His novel All the Secrets of the World, was published in Spring, and is in development by 20th Century Fox TV. He is the recipient of an NEA grant for 2022. His short fiction has appeared in the Best American Short Stories, the Pushcart Prize, and Best American Mysteries. His essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine and elsewhere. His latest book, Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow, is about storytelling and the struggle to write.