Writing Alongside Alice Notley
with Deborah Woodard
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, The Writing Life, Reading, Writing for Performance
In Person
In Person Open to all levels
Open to all levels 6 Sessions
6 Sessions This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House in Capitol Hill.
Alice Notley is one of the most influential poets of the past fifty years. Feminist, visionary, and defiantly, radically experimental, she reimagined what a poem could hold: voices layered over voices, sequences that feel part-dream and part-ritual, a speaker who speaks from the gut as much as from the page.
In this six-week generative workshop, we’ll read and write alongside three of Notley’s most iconic mid-career books—The Mystery of Small Houses, The Descent of Alette, and In the Pines. Each collection approaches consciousness differently: intimate autobiography, mythic journey, and choral, theatrical incantation. Together, we’ll explore how Notley builds voice, movement, and interiority, and how her poems open a dialogue between the self and the wider world.
Sessions will include discussion, weekly writing prompts inspired by the readings, and read-arounds where we explore how your work is developing in real time. We’ll look at long sequences, hybrid structures, and poetic strategies that push past the conventional lyric.
This class is your invitation to stretch: to write more freely, to think more strangely, and to experiment with form in ways you may not have tried before. Whether you already love Notley or are encountering her for the first time, you’ll leave with a new (or renewed) appreciation for Notley’s visionary work and an expanded sense of what your work can become.
Required Materials
- The Mystery of Small Houses, Alice Notley (Penguin)
- The Descent of Alette, Alice Notley (Penguin)
- In the Pines, Alice Notley (Penguin)
This class focuses on:
- Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
- Workshop: Students submit work and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates.
What to expect:
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- 1-2 hours of reading and/or writing outside of class
Students say…
"Deborah's prompts opened up part of my voice and was so rich. Deborah has a way of making neurons fire across different parts of the brain that make everyone's writing take a leap forward. a joy”
“Deborah leads a very open, generative class environment, which I think leads to a genuine sense of ease and trust in the students. She knows the subject, builds great prompts, deftly navigates the time between discussion and workshopping.”
“Deborah creates an atmosphere of friendly collegiality, provides inspiring prompts for multiple genres, and allows for individual differences in style.”
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
Deborah Woodard
Deborah Woodard holds an MFA from the University of California, Irvine, and a PhD from the University of Washington. She is the author of Plato’s Bad Horse (Bear Star Press, 2006), Borrowed Tales (Stockport Flats, 2012), and No Finis: Triangle Testimonies, 1911 (Ravenna Press, 2018). Her chapbook Hunter Mnemonics (hemel press, 2008) was illustrated by artist Heide Hinrichs. She has translated Amelia Rosselli with Giuseppe Leporace in The Dragonfly: A Selection of Poems: 1953 – 1981 (Chelsea Editions, 2009) and with Roberta Antognini in Hospital Series (New Directions, 2015) and Obtuse Diary (Entre Ríos Books, 2018). Woodard teaches at Hugo House in Seattle and co-curates the reading series Margin Shift.
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!
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 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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