Reading & Writing Fiction: Exquisite Pressure
Course Description
Summary
In her essay, Violence, director Anne Bogart writes, "Richard Foreman, perhaps the most intellectual of American directors, said that, for him, creation is one hundred percent intuitive. I have learned that he is right. This is not to say that one must not think analytically, theoretically, practically and critically. There is a time and a place for this kind of left-brain activity, but not in the heat of discovery in rehearsal and not in front of an audience. As soon as the door closes in rehearsal or as soon as the curtain goes up in performance, there is no time to think or reflect. In these moments of exquisite pressure there is only the intuitive act of articulation within the crisis of action." (Italics mine.) In this class, please be prepared for 'moments of exquisite pressure' in hopes of achieving 'the intuitive act of articulation within the crisis of action,' as we throw ourselves pell-mell into a maelstrom of writing exercises leading to a single round of student-led workshop at the end of term.
Learning Outcomes
- write feverishly outside of comfort zones
- read and discuss and analyze the craft behind contemporary works of short fiction
- write and submit a piece of short fiction or multiple pieces of flash fiction
Prerequisites
Students must submit a prose fiction sample of no more than two pages in response to the prompt: Onefish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.
Submissions must be submitted via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScuWN5vs6d7CrPk28hfvI9jiAI8BO5…. Submissions are due by November 13, 2025. Students admitted to class will be notified by email by November 18, 2025.
Corequisites
All students registered for 4000 level Literature and/or Creative Writing courses must attend the Literature Evenings and Poetry at Bennington series, which happen over the term on Wednesday evenings at 7pm.