How does one become a writer? Have confidence in one’s perceptions? Lend structure to memories that may otherwise feel chaotic and ephemeral? Allow ideas, events, and moments to breathe and give birth on the page? In this seminar/workshop, we study personal essays, fiction, reportage, and poetic texts, with an ear towards craft. Readings explore immigration, race, class, war, gender, post-colonialism, the environment, and more, and include such contemporary authors as Elizabeth Acevedo, Hilton Als, Natalie Diaz, Etgar Keret, Mosab Abu Toha, and Ocean Vuong. Each week, we write a quick, free-form, creative response to prompts based on the readings. Later in the semester, we bring a response of our choice to the workshop for development— and complete a work we can feel proud of. Supplemental readings, discussions, and videos focus on the creative process. Visual artists working with text are also welcome.