Bringing the Personal into Nature Writing
with Liza Birnbaum
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, The Writing Life, Reading, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Essay
In Person
In Person Open to all levels
Open to all levels 1 Session
1 Session When we write about nature, there's always an observing "I" embedded in what we describe–and when we write about our personal experience, there's always some context beyond our human surroundings. In this class, we'll try our hand at writing prose that brings the relationship between the self and the nonhuman world into sharp focus. We'll look at examples by Annie Dillard, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and others, focusing on the craft choices they use to paint dual portraits of themselves and their surroundings. You'll leave with new writing and inspiration for moving forward.
ADDITIONAL CLASS DETAILS:
Class format:
- Generative Writing: students create new work during class or from assignments.
- Craft Discussion: teachers and students explore essential elements of the craft.
- Peer feedback given.
- 1-2 hours of writing or reading outside of class.
REGISTRATION DATES:
- March 12: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- March 19: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- March 25: Last day of Early Bird pricing
Liza Birnbaum
Liza Birnbaum's writing has appeared in Web Conjunctions, jubilat, Tammy, Open Letters Monthly, and other publications. She holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and teaches at Hugo House, Cornish College of the Arts, and the University of Washington's Robinson Center. She's been awarded residencies from Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture and Fishtrap. For more of Liza go to lizabirnbaum.com
FAQ
Complete FAQMost classes are offered at a general and member tuition rates based on instruction hours, with Hugo House members receiving a 10% discount on classes fewer than six sessions.
Early bird discounts are available during the first two weeks of registration and apply to both general and member tuition rates.
To help provide financial accessibility to our class offerings, some classes each quarter are offered with a sliding-scale tuition model, allowing students to pay what they can for the class. For these classes, tuition increments starting at $5 and going up to 125% of the standard pricing will be listed on the page.
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Classes may be cancelled if less than the minimum number of students are enrolled within ten days before the class start date. If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, students can choose between receiving a full credit toward future classes or full refund.
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