Dana Spiotta
is the author of Wayward (forthcoming from Knopf), Innocents and Others, Stone Arabia; Eat the Document, and Lightning Field (all Scribner). She has been a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is a recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rome Prize, the St. Francis College Literary Prize, and the John Updike Prize. She teaches in the Syracuse University Creative Writing Program.
Master Class
Dana Spiotta
Online
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Registration is now closed for this class.
Beginnings
In this Master Class, we will look at a number of interesting novels and analyze how they begin: what they set in motion and what makes us want to read on. We will look in particular at the opening sentence and how it relates to the opening paragraphs and to the overall opening chapter/section. How the opening inaugurates the overall structure of the novel on a micro and macro level. We will discuss different narrative decisions and their consequences. Think about strategies and possibilities, and consider how blindly or consciously we might proceed. Do we need to know where we are going when we begin? If not, what do we want to keep in mind? Opening chapters will be assigned for reading in advance of class. If you have a novel opening you have written, please bring the first page to the class.
Course Schedule
Saturday, February 20, 2021
3:00–5:00 p.m. ET
1 session
Online on Zoom
Where are the Master Classes and workshops located?
Currently, all Master Classes and workshops are held online on Zoom or Google Meet.
I registered but did not receive a link. What do I do?
Details for your class, including any reading assignments and the Zoom link, will be sent one week prior to the start date—to the email account connected to your registration. Please confirm the email with which you register is accurate. Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with any questions.
Can I receive a recording of a past or upcoming workshop or class?
No. The only way to attend a Master Class or workshop is live.
Is closed captioning available?
Yes. Otter.ai live notes are available for all Master Classes held on Zoom and Google Meet, and on a case-by-case basis for workshops. (If you are signed up for a workshop, please discuss closed captioning with your instructor.) To view the notes, look for the red LIVE dropdown menu in the top left of your Zoom screen and select View Stream on Otter.ai.
Are scholarships available?
Scholarships are available for all Master Classes. Scholarships are not currently offered for workshops. To apply, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the subject “Master Class Scholarship Application” and include 1) a short statement outlining your interest in this class, and how a scholarship would benefit you as a writer or a reader; and 2) a short bio. Scholarships are awarded on a rolling basis.
The Master Class or workshop I want to join is sold out. Is there a waitlist?
Yes. Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to be added to the waitlist for an upcoming Master Class or workshop.
I signed up for a class but can't make it. Can I be refunded?
Full refunds are offered if requested at least two weeks prior to the start date of the class. After that, before the start date, we are able to offer a 50% refund. We cannot refund day-of cancellations, and we cannot refund or partially refund tuition once the class has started. Please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you need to cancel your registration.
But I signed up for a class after the cut-off point for a full refund had passed. Can I still be eligible for a full refund?
No. Please be aware of our cancellation policy upon registration.
I'd like to transfer my registration to someone else. Is this possible?
Yes. That is very generous of you! Please contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your enrollment in an Academy class, please let us know as soon as possible. We can only offer full refunds if you cancel two weeks prior to the start of class. After that, before the start date of class, we can offer a 50% refund. We cannot refund day-of cancellations, and we cannot refund or partially refund tuition once the class has begun.