Event – Detail

In this generative class, those working in fiction and creative nonfiction will gather each week to read, converse, experiment, and write together. Taking the image of the portal as our guide, we’ll seek fresh, imaginative entry points into our works-in-progress, and consider a variety of methods for transcribing those hazy ideas in our heads into clear and living prose.

Each 90-minute class will consist of two parts: in the first half, we’ll read an excerpt from a model text and discuss the style and craft at work. The subsequent half of class will be devoted to silent, focused writing time in response to an open-ended, creative prompt. At the end of each session, writers will have the opportunity to share a portion of their work aloud and offer support. Sessions will focus on topics like “Showing it Straight/Telling it Slant” and “The Psychological Setting.” This course is ideal for fiction and creative non-fiction writers at all levels looking for an inspiring, process-oriented environment.

Workshop meets in person at The Athenaeum on Saturdays from 10:30AM - noon on:  October 4, 11, 18, 25 and November 1 and 8.

Leigh N. Gallagher is a writer and educator based in Philadelphia. She’s the author of the novel Who You Might Be (Henry Holt, 2022) and her fiction, non-fiction, and reviews have appeared in The Brooklyn Rail, Lit Hub, Full Stop, American Short Fiction, Salt Hill, and the Reading Room anthology, as well as in nontraditional formats through collaborations with artists and musicians. A graduate of the Helen Zell Writer’s Program at the University of Michigan, she’s led classes and workshops at a range of institutions, including Pratt, the City University of New York, the University of Michigan, the Center for Talented Youth, Blue Stoop, InsideOut Detroit, and the Detroit Art Book Fair.

Please note, all program registration sales are final.