In this Prose Lit Seminar, we will together read modern classics, of 300-400 pages, in all genres from literary classics to contemporary work to science fiction. In the cache: Edward P. Jones, Rachel Kushner, Ian McEwan, George Saunders, Jesmyn Ward and John Kennedy Toole. But we won't study them like we would in an undergrad English class. We will workshop them. Nearly all works of fiction, even if they seem perfect, can be deconstructed for what's working and what could be developed. So will we break these books down as we would in a traditional booth. What techniques do we take away from our reading? What should we avoid? Spruced in between are writing exercises for our own projects as they pertain to our weekly lessons. Get ready to tackle the contemporary canon!