Reading Deeply: Maidens of the Void
with Christie Valentin-Bati
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Reading, Writing for Performance
Online
Intermediate, Advanced
12 Sessions
βIsn't it the most blissful thing in the world to be away from everything you have ever knownβto be so far away that you don't even know yourself anymore and you're not sure you ever want to come back to all of the things you're a part of?β βJamaica Kincaid, Lucy
What happens when women write into the unknownβwhen they unmoor themselves from expectation, language, even identity? What do they find in the silence, the surreal, the ecstatic interior?
This twelve-week reading intensive is an invitation to read as a creative act. Together, weβll explore literature, film, and visual art by women who plumb the depths of desire, memory, longing, and transformationβworks that transcend one-dimensional gender politics and enter the vast, mythic terrain of the human experience.
Weβll study writers like Virginia Woolf, Jamaica Kincaid, Clarice Lispector, Zora Neale Hurston, and Don Mee Choi, paying close attention to how craft shapes consciousness. Through experimental prose, magical realism, poetic fragmentation, and more, weβll uncover how these artists break narrative convention to articulate what often resists language.
Perfect for intermediate and advanced readers who want to read widely, think deeply, and find creative inspiration through close study. Youβll leave with new literary obsessions, a refined critical lens, and an expanded sense of whatβs possibleβin both reading and writing.
Writers weβll read:
- Vanessa Bell
- Don Mee Choi
- Hélène Cixous
- Cheryl Dunye
- Renee Gladman
- Zora Neale Hurston
- Jamaica Kincaid
- Donika Kelly
- Clarice Lispector
- Amy Lipman
- Sabrina Orah-Mark
- Toni Morrison
- Gertrude Stein
- Eudora Welty
- Virginia Woolf
This class focuses on:
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
- Craft & Technique: Focuses on improving writing skills, exploring elements like plot, character, or dialogue.
What to expect: Β
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Lecture: Instructor-led teaching
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- 2-3 hours of reading and/or writing outside of class per week
Students say…
"[Christie] introduced me to new voices and new ways of experiencing prose and poetry and boundaries and crossovers…It was great!β
Registration Dates:
- August 12: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PTΒ Β Β
- August 19: General registration opens at 10:30 am PTΒ
- August 26: Scholarships open
- August 31: Last day of Early Bird discount
This class is not eligible for a member discount. Learn more here Β»
Christie Valentin-Bati
Christie Valentin-Bati is a poetry teaching artist based in Chicago. Her work received honorable mention from the Academy of American Poets, was commissioned by the ACLU, and her micro-chapbook "Journal" was showcased in Porous Gallery. She loves plants and shadows.
Describe your teaching style.
My main goal as an instructor is to bring out the language that exists in all of us and to refine it. We all carry unique life experiences, stories, and idiosyncrasiesβ often writers think they need to strip themselves of these traits to be a βgood writer,β but good writing is just about one's ability to elicit a sense of aliveness in the reader by the honing in on the substantial center of subjectivity.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).Β
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.Β
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.Β
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.Β
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. Youβre looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. Youβre honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: Youβve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. Youβre getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and youβre interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, three days before the first day of class.
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program, operated in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Two take place onsite at SPL locations, one takes place online.Β
Sliding-scale classes are offered every quarter. Find them in our Class Catalog.
We announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
At this time, we offer payment plans on classes 8 sessions and up. Email education@hugohouse.org with the name of the class you’re interested in to set up a payment plan. Please note that you can only have 2 active payment plans per quarter.
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We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.Β
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Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
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We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.Β
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If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.Β
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If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. Youβll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the websiteΒ Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 business days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policyΒ here.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.Β Β
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clickingΒ here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red βRequest a Scholarshipβ text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the βadd to cartβ button.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.
If youβre interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more.Β Learn more on our Volunteer page.
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