Reading Deeply: Middlemarch by George Eliot
with Kaelie Giffel
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, The Writing Life, Reading, Novel, Writing for Performance
Online
Online Intermediate, Advanced
Intermediate, Advanced 8 Sessions
8 Sessions George Eliot once called her writing “a set of experiments in life,” and nowhere is that truer than in Middlemarch: her sweeping, tender, incisive study of a town and the people who inhabit it. Though written in the 19th century, Middlemarch remains one of the sharpest explorations of human interiority, social complexity, and compassion in the English language. It’s a masterclass for writers interested in depth, precision, and a richer sense of character and world.
In this eight-week course, we’ll read Middlemarch slowly and attentively, with an eye toward craft. We’ll examine how Eliot builds a world of intersecting storylines, renders characters who feel startlingly real, and uses description—of setting, gesture, community, and psychology—to create a social world alive with tension and consequence.
Each session will pair discussion with practical craft reflections and short writing prompts that invite you to apply Eliot’s techniques to your own work. We’ll pay particular attention to how Eliot handles multiple points of view, balances plot with interiority, and captures subtle forces—expectation, judgment, hope, constraint—that shape a character’s life. Then, we’ll practice bringing these techniques into our own writing.
By the end, you’ll leave with a renewed sense of what fiction can do, a practical toolkit drawn from Eliot’s techniques, and fresh ideas for moving forward in your writing.
Perfect for intermediate and advanced writers curious to learn how to:
- Navigate multiple, competing storylines
- Develop a diverse range of characters convincingly
- Describe the physical and social world accurately
- Create a rich, immersive fictional world for readers, even from their own slice of the social world
Required Materials: A copy of George Eliot’s Middlemarch. Expect about 100 pages of reading per week.
This class focuses on:
- Craft & Technique: Focuses on the building blocks of strong writing
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
What to expect:
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- 4-6 hours of reading and/or writing outside of class
Students say…
"Kaelie was a formidably knowledgeable instructor on the subject matter and at the same time created a welcoming, inclusive environment for discussion. She had extremely thoughtful lesson plans for each class, with interesting and generative questions. I think the group of students in this class was also special; we just all meshed very well, participants were respectful and incredibly thoughtful and intelligent in their own right. I felt both included and challenged!”
“Highly sophisticated (doctoral level) conversation about writing form and themes. I learned so much new terms of expressions, felt intellectually challenged by the material, was touched by the personalities in this class, and feel inspired to go write my stories. Our instructor is very gifted and insightful. She really drove conversations to deep and meaningful places–perhaps more than in any class I've taken. She truly knows her subjects and has a command on teaching Ernaux as well as interpretive readings.”
Registration Dates:
- December 2: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 9: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 14: Last day of Early Bird discount
- December 16: Scholarships open
Kaelie Giffel
Kaelie Giffel, Ph.D., is the author of the academic memoir, University for a Good Woman. She writes about feminism, literature, and travel. You can find her writing published and forthcoming in Public Books, Full Stop, Oh Reader, SOLO Travel, and other places. She currently lives in Helena, MT where you can find her lifting weights and visiting hot springs.
Describe your teaching style.
My classes revolve around discussion: while I prepare mini-lectures, discussion questions, and have destinations in mind, classes are at their best when everyone comes with thoughts about the reading and about their own writing. In that way, what you get out of the class is commensurate with what you put in. We also move between discussing craft and having broader conversations about the content of a work because you cannot separate the two. Finally, I always end class with writing prompts to help generate material related to our discussions that students can work up into more polished pieces.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
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.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
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.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re 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. You’re 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: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re 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.
If you register for a class within this three-day window and do not receive this information, please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, 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 4 sessions and up. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual.
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We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans. This fee is based on total class cost.
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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.
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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.
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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. You’ll 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 website 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 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 policy here.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
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 clicking 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 “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
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!
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If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support Hugo House and our mission.
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