LIVE via ZOOM: 11am-1pm (Eastern)

What is “likeability” and how is it used, abused, glorified, and misunderstood in fiction? In this generative workshop, we’ll employ a light comic touch to confront personal discomfort, judgment, bias, envy, and self-awareness as both writers and as readers. We’ll refine our own prose with a special eye toward celebrating what’s “true”, even (or especially) when it’s not “pretty”, and we’ll trouble the waters with regard to the ethical duties of storytelling. We’ll question our own narrative priorities, have a grand old time playing in the shadows, and come away with less fear around giving voice to real and imagined experience. This workshop is for anyone who would like to engage the absurd and free up their narrative flow. Readings include Etgar Keret, ZZ Packer, Muriel Spark, Rachel Cusk, Stacey Richter, Junot Diaz, Jade Sharma, Danielle Evans, Rebecca Schiff, James Baldwin, Jhumpa Lahiri, David Gates, and Mary Gaitskill.