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Course Catalog
Writing About Nature
This class will take place via video-conferencing (Zoom), Pacific Time.
Introductory/Intermediate | Using the techniques of literary journalism, we’ll read and write essays with a nature and environmental focus, taking cues from writers such as Pam Houston, Ana Maria Spagna, Rick Bass, and Louise Erdrich. Through reading, discussions, and workshops, we’ll discuss best practices and research methods, from in the field to interviews. Every writer will compose two pieces — one personal piece and one longer essay integrating research. We will also discuss publication.
Beginning Fall 2021, we will be adding select in-person classes back to our course catalog. The majority of our classes will still be offered via Zoom.
If a class says IN-PERSON in its title, it will take place in person at our permanent home in Seattle.
If a class says ASYNCHRONOUS in its title, it will take place on Wet Ink, our asynchronous learning platform.
If a class does not have a marker after its title, it will take place via Zoom.
Instructor: Gail Folkins
Class Type: 8 Sessions
Nonfiction, OnlineStart Date: 07/01/2020
End Date: 08/19/2020
Days of the Week: Wednesday
Time: 7:10 pm – 9:10 pm PDT
Minimum Class Size: 5
Maximum Class Size: 15
$342.00
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$380.00 General Price:
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Gail Folkins
Gail Folkins often writes about her deep roots in the American West. She is the author of two creative nonfiction books from Texas Tech University Press: a Pacific Northwest memoir titled Light in the Trees (2016), and Texas Dance Halls: A Two-Step Circuit (2007), which was a popular culture finalist in ForeWord Review’s 2007 Book of the Year Awards. Folkins’ essay “A Palouse Horse” was a Notable Essay in The Best American Essays 2010. Her essays and poetry have appeared in publications such as River Teeth Journal - Beautiful Things, North Dakota Quarterly, Wisconsin Life, Texas Highways, and Wildflower Magazine. She has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, St. Edward’s University (Austin), and Austin Community College.
Teaching philosophy: My goal is to further understanding of craft while also encouraging expression of students’ unique voices. Students have praised my workshop format and student-centered approach. Students learn to not only share a narrative, but to also explore their experiences and discoveries. I encourage students to read as writers, meaning focusing on elements of craft in addition to literary themes.
Writers I return to: Edward Abbey, Julia Alvarez, Margaret Atwood, Kim Barnes, Rick Bass, Dennis Covington, Louise Erdrich, Ernest Hemingway, Pico Iyer, and Jhumpa Lahiri.
Favorite writing advice: Find the extraordinary in the everyday.