How to Create an Irresistible Narrator [Steve Almond]

This is a Workshop for Democracy. The instructor will be contributing 100% of his teaching pay to the organization Black Votes Matter [https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/donate/]. The instructor asks that students pay Hugo House a discounted fee for the class, and contribute the balance of your fee to a candidate or cause of your choosing. The suggested donation is $100, though students are free to contribute more if they wish. Before class, we will briefly discuss our contributions, and how to be citizens of good faith in this vital moment.

All Levels | Many a short story, essay, novel, and memoir have gone unpublished because the author fails to create a strong narrator, one who can act as a wise and entertaining guide to the reader.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 Sylvia Plath, Jane Austen, Joan Didion, 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.