HNAR-323: Writing Under the Influence

A writing class for writers and non-writers, this class will use deep readings of classic and contemporary literary texts as springboards for our own writing. We'll do a lot of in-class writing - observations, dreams and lists - to demystify the writing process. Working under the influence of other writers, we'll escape the anxiety of the blank page. Writing will come to feel as natural as talking. Sources will include excerpts from writers including Sei Shonogon, Wanda Coleman, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Lady Nijo, Anton Chekhov, Cecilia Pavon, Roberto Bolano, Georges Perec, William S. Burroughs and Jill Johnston. Writins about visual art and culture - approached from many angles - will be encouraged. Each person will produce a final project, 10-12 pages long, in any genre.