461. WRITING ABOUT CHILDHOOD

Katie Winkelstein-Duveneck via ZOOM

“The story of my childhood is the usual bleak fantasy, and we can dismiss it with the restrained observation that I certainly would not consider living it again.”

                                                                          -James Baldwin, “Autobiographical Notes”

As long as you write it away regularly, nothing can really hurt you.” -Shirley Jackson

In this class, we will read great works of literature that feature children. How do authors depict their younger selves in memoir? How do we represent the time distortions of memory? In fiction, whose perspective is employed? Can we truly evoke the state of childhood for an adult reader? We will read works by Alexander Chee, Jamaica Kincaid, and others. In fun, experimental writing exercises, we will try our hand at writing stories of our own (this part is optional, so feel free to join in whether or not you’re interested in writing).

1:00 – 3:00 p.m.                                                                                                                               4 Sessions

Mondays, June 2 – June 23                                                                                                           Fee:  $200

NOTE:  A ZOOM LINK will be sent to you at least one day prior to the first day of class and again on a weekly basis prior to each successive class if there is more than one session.

A B O U T  T H E  L E C T U R E R

Katie Winkelstein-Duveneck holds an MA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston, as well as a BA in Theology and Creative Writing from Bard. She has taught writing and literature at the college level for a number of years, has created innovative course curricula, and has authored numerous scholarly publications. Among her students are newly published writers of fiction and non-fiction as well.  She currently teaches as a Doctoral Lecturer in Composition and Rhetoric at Hunter College in the CUNY system.