The Art of Feminist Life-Writing
with Kaelie Giffel
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, The Writing Life, Reading, Memoir, Writing for Performance
Online
Introductory
6 Sessions
In stock
What are the political implications of writing in the first person, and how have feminists used this genre to tell their stories? This class explores recent feminist memoir and life-writing, examining how feminists have adapted memoir conventions to highlight the power of personal narrative. In each two-hour session, we’ll closely read book and essay excerpts of feminist work and discuss how they teach us to see and articulate experiences differently, then we’ll spend time writing in response to prompts.
We’ll read work by Melissa Febos, Annie Ernaux, Carolyn Kay Steedman, and Johanna Hedva, and more. Themes will include misogyny, sexuality, illness, history, class, racism, motherhood, and family dynamics. All texts will be provided each week. Expect to leave with new writing and new strategies for telling your story.
What to expect:
- Generative Writing: Students create new work during class or from assignments.
- Craft Discussion: teachers and students explore essential elements of the craft.
- Reading: Class engages in close study of one or more works.
- No feedback given.
- 1-2 hours of writing or reading outside of class.
Students say…
“It was so fun to dissect a text, the mind of a writer, to generate and discuss interpretations and deepen meaning. I enjoyed the joint study of craft and how this can advance my own writing. I enjoyed thinking about cultural issues in our society and how writing is a way to use our voice against them.”
“Kaelie perfects the knowledge and rootedness needed for her classes while also asking expansive questions to prompt her students to dive deeper into the subject matter and their personal writings…I always leave class feeling like a better writer and person.”
Registration Dates:
- November 19: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- November 26: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 8: Last day of Early Bird discount
Kaelie Giffel
Kaelie Giffel, Ph.D., formerly of Seattle, now writes and does violence prevention work in Durham, NC. Her writing focuses on feminism, education, and the joys of intellectual work for activists. Her work has appeared in academic journals and elsewhere.
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.
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.
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.
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We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
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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.
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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 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 policy 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.
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.
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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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