8 sessions, Thursdays, September 10 to October 29th, 8-10pm Eastern/5-7pm Pacific
online, 12 students max
$775
Students who have taken a previous class with Jami are eligible for $75 off, please get in touch to receive a coupon code
Enroll in this class.
What does it look like to write beyond: beyond genre and form conventions, beyond what other people have told us a writing life should look like, beyond our doubts? Over our eight weeks together, we’ll investigate these questions and others. In this more advanced class, we’ll focus on:
1) developing our writing through craft lectures (on topics like language, voice/style, shape and structure, speculation, revision, accountability, and publishing), assigned readings, discussion, and workshops
2) providing a supportive community that will together learn how to provide encouraging, specific feedback tailored towards the writer’s specific questions and goals
3) applying the feedback we receive in order to fruitfully revise (and work towards publishing, if that is our goal)
4) and creating a sustainable writing practice that fits with the realities of our lives—whether we are parents, disabled, chronically ill, hold multiple jobs, etc.
While our talks and assigned texts will be from the realm of lyric, hybrid, experimental, and speculative nonfiction, students writing other forms of creative nonfiction—including more “conventional” or narrative nonfiction—are welcome.
The first two weeks include learning about each other and setting goals, discussing assigned readings, and listening to craft lectures. Each of the last six weeks will be split between craft talks/discussion and workshopping student drafts.
Workshop Fit:
This class is for writers who have an ongoing project (whether short-form or a longer manuscript). Writers will be expected to submit work twice (up to 10 pages per submission) and can expect 1-2 hours of weekly reading outside of class (including published texts and your peers’ submissions). Classroom/workshop experience is recommended, but not necessary.
Workshop Format:
No cone of silence here—writers can participate in their own workshops. Each workshop will be guided by the individual writer’s needs and questions, and the writer can choose from several feedback formats, based on their goals. Each class includes a 10 minute break.
Syllabus:
Assigned texts may include excerpts by Akwaeke Emezi, Kai Cheng Thom, Felicia Rose Chavez, Carmen Maria Machado, Claudia Rankine, Elissa Washuta, Matthew Salesses, and Jane Alison, among others.
Weeks 1-2: The first two weeks include: learning about each other and setting goals, discussing assigned readings, and listening to craft lectures. We’ll go over best workshop practices (developed in texts like The Anti-racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez and Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses) so we all can learn to be better editors and feedback-givers.
Weeks 3-8: The first half of each class includes a craft lecture, discussion, and (if time) a generative exercise. The second part of class focuses on workshopping two writers’ submissions. (If you miss a class, I ask that you email feedback to the writers who were workshopped that day, in the spirit of reciprocity and generosity.)
If you have any questions about fit or any accessibility concerns, feel free to contact us!
Enroll in this class.
About the Instructor
Jami Nakamura Lin is the author of the illustrated speculative memoir THE NIGHT PARADE (Mariner Books/HarperCollins, 2023), the winner of the 2024 Chicago Review of Books Award for Nonfiction. The Night Parade was named a Best Book of 2023 by Boston Globe and New York Magazine, and received starred reviews from Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal. Jami has received support from organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts/Japan-US Friendship Commission, Folger Shakespeare Library, Macdowell, Yaddo, Sewanee, We Need Diverse Books, and the Illinois Arts Council. Her essays and stories have been published in The New York Times, Sewanee Review, and Passages North, among others. She teaches, edits, and coaches from outside Chicago.
Student Testimonials from Previous Co-Lab Classes Jami Has Taught
“Jami was a fantastic teacher! I appreciated her enthusiasm, encouragement, and insightful feedback. Her deep knowledge of the topics was clear, and I loved the way the course was structured and the readings and resources shared. I also appreciated Jami’s grace around bandwidth outside of class, and it was wonderful to always get time to write in class. I would happily take another class with her again!”
“Jami brought a genuine, enthusiastic engagement to all the participants’ projects and provided readings and examples in class that gave me permission to explore my work in its strangest and most authentic ways.”
“Jami provided a gorgeous syllabus that left me inspired. She also held by a supportive and inclusive learning space which only amplified our ability to reach into beyond artistically. I only wished it was longer but look forward to more programs with her in the future.”
“This class is amazing! I was a little intimidated at first, but Jami created such a welcoming and supportive environment. She introduced many specific techniques to analyze and try out in concrete ways. I love the focus on creation rather than critique. The environment and approach helped me let go and play with new approaches. Some of the exercises have grown into something larger, and I have a lot of new possible directions for my ongoing project. Our last class was the day after the election. I had been hiding out from people that day, feeling like possibilities in the world were shutting down on all sides, but going to this class helped me breathe, connect, and imagine possibilities again. Thank you!”
“Jami is a fantastic instructor - I would take any course with her in a heartbeat! She is so compassionate and validating, with sensitivity to student needs.”
“Jami was a fantastic instructor, from how she created a welcoming space, shared tools and lessons on spec nonfiction, to the readings she curated for us. I would recommend this class to others and would jump at the chance to take another class with Jami.”
"Jami's generosity and wisdom as a teacher, thinker, and writer are unparalleled. Her transparency about her own process and her skillful way of meeting students where they're at provides inspiring encouragement and fortitude for the writing road ahead." - Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, award-winning author of THE FACT OF A BODY