Writing Self

Instructor: Mahrukh Aamir 

 

“Well, that’s just it, I thought: you didn’t just write down a raw cry of suffering. It would be boring and self-indulgent. You had to disguise it, turn it into art.” — Elif Batuman, Either/Or

 

This workshop focuses on two things. 1) How best to create a personal archive; and 2) how to use that archive to make something good. We’ll focus on the concept of the inner life. How does one go about creating meaning from it? Creating anything at all from it?

 

We’ll read from old books (Sei Shōnagon) and new books (Annie Ernaux) and experimental books (Sheila Heti) and some more “pathetic” books. We’ll work on writing exercises. We’ll have lots of conversations. We’ll take walks. We’ll make friends.

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