TEACHING
Writing Fiction Through Reading Poetry
A 6-week online course (Writing Workshops). Out of all aspects of narrative, the one that continuously evolves is language. How a writer employs words and syntax forms the core of their personal literary style. In this generative class, students work on improving their language skills through reading a diverse selection of modern poets. Over the course of six weeks, they participate in lectures about prose poetry, diction, syntax, rhythm, imagery, tone, and form. They learn how to craft flow between sentences, as well as different poetic devices that can be applied to fiction, and how poetic style can be applied toward both minimalist and maximalist writing. They write new material based on readings from Eileen Myles, Terrance Hayes, Franny Choi, Lillian-Yvonne Betram, Sally Wen Mao, Laura Kasischke, Chen Chen, Deborah Landau, Danez Smith, and other current writers. Though this is a generative course, the teacher and students provide in-class feedback on student writing and perspectives on where students can take their pieces.
Writing the Sublime
An 8-week online course (Writing Workshops). Myths and legends have long been one of humanity’s tools in exploring big questions and grand emotions, specifically through crafting stories and imagery that match the grandiosity of these feelings. One tool that speculative writers use is the sublime, also called the "sense of wonder," the evocation of something greater than human experience to evoke feelings of awe and terror. In this generative online class, students explore the sublime as a key element in speculative fiction. That look over the common mythologies that unite humanity, and discuss how we can remix them in ways that elevate their symbolic meaning. Students do exercises beyond the typical prose to disrupt their writing habits. They also examine how authors create the sublime through narrative beats that build to a satisfying conclusion.
Writing the Sublime
A 6-week online course (Catapult). Myths and legends have long been one of humanity’s tools in exploring big questions and grand emotions, specifically through crafting stories and imagery that match the grandiosity of these feelings. One tool that speculative writers use is the sublime, also called the "sense of wonder," the evocation of something greater than human experience to evoke feelings of awe and terror. In this class, students explore the sublime as a key element in speculative fiction. They study the common mythologies that unite humanity, and discuss how we as writers can remix them in interesting ways.
Intro to Speculative Fiction
A 6-week online course (Lighthouse Writers Workshop). In this course, students learn basic guidelines for the genres of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. They write imaginative pieces that engage with their interests. They generate writing both in-class and through homework responses. They also workshop each other’s writing in order to help one another in the creative process.
Daily Zoom: Writing the Domestic
A 1-time Generative Seminar (Lighthouse Writers Workshop): Using examples and prompts, I led the students in exploring the domestic space as a literary setting.
Writing in Color Retreat Craft Seminar: Finding Form
A 1-time revision seminar (Lighthouse Writers Workshop). For this revision workshop, I showed students examples of different forms (poetry, essay, play, screenplay, etc.), and led them in using those forms for developing story ideas, with the goal of finding which form fit their story best.
Daily Zoom: Kishotenketsu — The Four Act Structure
A 1-time craft seminar (Lighthouse Writers Workshop). I led students in brainstorming new work based on the Japanese four-act story structure, kishotenketsu.
Daily Zoom: Experiments in POV
A 1-time craft seminar (Lighthouse Writers Workshop). I led students in experimenting with different point-of-view through a series of exercises meant to disrupt their writing habits.
Daily Zoom: Surrealism—From the World to the Page
A 1-time generative seminar (Lighthouse Writers Workshop). I led students through a series of writing exercises based on surrealist art.
The MTV Triumvirate
A High School Humanities Elective (Vanguard Classical School, Fall 2019). This course examines the careers of Prince, Michael Jackson, and Madonna through a sociological lens. Students do readings and research on queer, postcolonial, gender, racial, and political theory to gain an understanding of how the three artists reacted to and created the zeitgeist of the 1980s through today. They analyze music videos through class discussions and ultimately write a term paper on how the artists’ music videos relate to a theme of their work.
Key Texts: Moonwalker, Evita, Purple Rain, albums from individual artists
Introduction to Creative Writing (English 223:001)
A sophomore level creative writing workshop (University of Louisiana, Spring 2014). This course offers students instruction in the fundamentals of creative writing through a careful study of three major literary genres (short story, poem, and drama), with analysis specifically focused on language. Students also sharpen and further develop critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Students critique one another’s work and study key texts through creative and critical responses. Major authors: Karen Russell, Jhumpa Lahiri, Alice Munro, Denis Johnson, David Mamet, Eugene O’Neill.
Writing and Research about Culture (English 102:002, 102:053, 102:069)
Freshman research and composition (University of Louisiana, Spring 2014, Spring 2013). This course explores cultural themes, which students build on in order to advance the thinking, reading, and writing skills learned in English 101. The theme is cross-cultural communication, with particular focus on Americanization, globalization, and postcolonial theory, as learned through the study of various key texts and films, and several articles.
Key texts: Jungle Fever (dir. Spike Lee); International Views: America and the Rest of the World; They Say/I Say
Introduction to Academic Writing (English 101:004, 101:114, 101:007, 101:025)
Freshman composition (Univ. of Louisiana, Fall 2013, Fall 2012). This required course for undergraduate students offers instruction in critical thinking, reading, writing, and speaking skills through an intensive examination of the process of forming, structuring and articulating arguments, and through the study of various key texts and films, and several articles.
Key texts: University of Louisiana Freshman Guide to Writing; Writing Arguments
Rhetoric and Composition for the English Writer (English 001)
Teacher’s aid, one-on-one tutor for freshman composition (Mills College, Fall 2011).