Letters as Doorways: Writing Prose Poetry and Creative Nonfiction

Letters are among our oldest forms of writing, and also among our most intimate. Far more than a simple means of communication, letters can become doorways into the world of one’s heart, self, mind, and one’s most beloved relationships. They give us permission to speak directly, reflect deeply, and address what might otherwise remain difficult to approach on the page.

In this course, we’ll dive into the rich and enduring practice of letter writing as a way to generate prose poetry and creative nonfiction. Through guided prompts, you’ll write letters to different versions of yourself, to places and landscapes that have shaped you, to past and future generations, and to people who remain important in your life—whether living, dead, distant, or no longer in contact. Along the way, we’ll use the lens of the letter to deepen our relationship to memory, place, history, and connection.

Because letters sit naturally between forms, they can also help us write outside of genre constraints and familiar blocks. A letter might begin as private reflection and become a prose poem, personal essay, lyric fragment, or something harder to categorize. Each week, you’ll generate several new letters and then choose one to revisit and revise, exploring how a spontaneous piece of writing can be shaped into its most resonant, intentional, and complete form.

Throughout the course, you’ll have opportunities to share your work, receive real-time responses from me and your coursemates, and get individual, written feedback on your writing. You’ll leave with a collection of reflective pieces you can continue expanding and honing, as well as new ways of using direct address to open doors into material that matters to you.

Learning and Writing Goals

Learning Goals

In this class, you will learn to:

• Wse the lens of the letter to inspire deep, heartfelt and resonant writing.
• Reflect on your own life and relationships through writing.
• Write outside of genre constraints or blocks.

Writing goals

In this course, you will:

• Generate many reflective letters, which can be later expanded and honed.
• Receive real time feedback in class from your peers and instructor.
• Receive individual feedback from the instructor.

Zoom Schedule

We will meeting on Zoom on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:15PM Eastern time.

Weekly Syllabus

Week 1: Letters to the Self

In this class we will write a series of letters to ourselves throughout various times in our lives, inspiring reflection, connection and depth. 

Week 2: Letters to Place

In this class we will write letters to places throughout our lives as well as aspects of nature, deepening our craft and our relationship to place.

Week 3: Letters to Humanity

In this class we will write letters to various generations, our own, previous generations and future generations, thus deepening our craft and our relationship with history and the people in it.

Week 4: Letters to Other

In this class we will write letters to individual people throughout our lives, those living, those dead and those who we do not speak to anymore.

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$345.00 Original price was: $345.00.$295.00Current price is: $295.00.Enroll Now