Shopping Cart


Deborah Taffa is the author of the memoir Whiskey Tender (Harper). A 2018 Writing Fellow at A Public Space, she received her MFA at the University of Iowa and has also received fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN America, MacDowell, and the NY State Summer Writers Institute. She is a citizen of the Kwatsaan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, and the director of the MFA creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

 

Workshop

Deborah Taffa

Online

Wednesdays, October 2, 2024-October 30, 2024

$295.00

The Essay
The essay—the most flexible, shape-shifting genre—has much to offer writers. This workshop is designed to explore the dynamic possibilities of creative nonfiction. How do we weave public histories into individual stories? What is the impact of emotional truth versus factual truth? How do we distinguish memoir from autobiography? The lyric essay from the traditional essay? And how do we use the form to enrich any type of material? We’ll look at a range of essays—from the historic to the modern—and seek to understand what defines these works in all their permutations. Explore how various writers have navigated its possibilities, and discuss ways to experiment with the typologies to create new directions for our own work.

This is a generative workshop, and each week a piece of writing will be created in conversation with the work we read.

Wednesdays, October 2, 2024-October 30, 2024 (no class October 16)
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. ET
4 sessions
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.


Sign up for A Public Space's Newsletter