Writing the Personal Essay
Returns this Fall
Aldous Huxley wrote: “Like the novel, the essay is a literary device for saying almost everything about almost anything.”
Join us to discover the joys of writing the Personal Essay. Through this literary genre you are free to communicate humor, knowledge, life experiences…just about anything that tells a story from your life or imagination.
In this workshop, we’ll read published essays, discuss the craft of telling stories in essay form while working on our own drafts to share for feedback and potential publishing.
We’ll also talk about the business of getting your essays published, how to develop relationships with editors and how to pitch your pieces.
(If you’ve taken this class before, take it again! Our emphasis on workshopping and expanding forms of the essay will keep you moving forward.)
Who Should Attend: This class is open to writers who have previously taken this class, as well as writers at all levels who have something to say. No prior writing experience is necessary.
NOTE: This class may used for Certificate Program students as one Elective.
About the Instructor: Ellen Blum Barish has a masters degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Her feature articles have appeared in Newsweek, Self, the Chicago Tribune’s Sunday Magazine, Health and Womanews sections and North Shore magazine. Many of her personal essays have aired as radio commentaries on WBEZ-Chicago Public Radio’s Eight-Forty-Eight program. She has taught writing at many Chicago-area universities including Northwestern and North Park. She is author of a book of award-winning essays based on her syndicated newspaper columns about women’s issues and family life (www.ellenblumbarish.com/ellensbook.html), and co-facilitates a Chicago-area interfaith writing circle consisting of clergy and laywomen.
Date/Time: Returns in Fall 2010Price: Non-Member:$380; Member: $360