Generating Short Forms: Lydia Davis and the American Prose Poem

All Levels | In this class, we’ll focus on Lydia Davis, known for the extreme brevity of her narratives, in relationship to the American prose poem tradition. Participants may respond to assignments with prose poems, “regular” poems, aphorisms, postcard messages, movie scripts, grocery lists, mini essays, flash fiction, etc. As long as responses are reasonably pithy, they qualify. Weekly writing prompts and read-arounds.

Texts: The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis (Picador, 2009); Great American Prose Poems ed. Lehman (Scribner, 2003).