Make Them Cry and Make Them Laugh

What does it really take to write something so uproarious, so perverse, so deeply felt, so majestically sad that it has the power to bring the reader to tears? We’ll spend some time discussing the art of timing, set-up, build-up, characterization, context, and how to profane the sacred and make sacred the profane when trying to construct and relate genuine comedy to genuine tragedy in fiction. We’ll discuss works by Junot Díaz, George Saunders, and Lorrie Moore and do several exercises. This class will challenge you to move away from jokes and punchlines and drippy sentimentality and hone in on the interplay of pathos, sincerity, gravity, and levity in producing something truly tender and truly stirring.

Presented in partnership with APRIL Festival.