3/13 The Art of the Sentence
3/13 The Art of the Sentence
This isn’t a grammar class. This is an art class. And it’s ideal for memoirists and fiction writers alike.
Using Joe Brainard’s seminal 1975 memoir “I Remember” as inspiration, we will use a simple but infinitely generative tool to unlock your memories and get them down on the page. First, we’ll experience how repetitive sentence structure opens our connection to memory free from the distractions of craft. And then, we’ll experiment against the limits of repetition as craft itself. Never heard of “sentence combining”? We’ll reveal the ways in which you’re already applying its secrets, and we’ll discover new ways to consciously harness its power as a tool for expression and revision. We’re going to get playful and messy with sentences. Have a pair of scissors handy.
By the end of this workshop, writers will…
Feel more confident in telling your stories using the painter’s brush of memoir: the sentence.
Generate a list(s) of memories.
Understand anaphora, repetition, and list-making as generative and structural strategies for memoir.
Understand sentence combining as an early literacy tool that remains relevant and useful for a lifetime.
Take control of the order in which information is revealed to your readers for heightened flow, musicality, and impact.
Who is the Instructor? Cynthia Marie Hoffman is the author of four books, most recently the OCD memoir in prose poems Exploding Head (2024), as well as three previous collections of poetry based on travel, historical research on birth and medicine, and family genealogy. Essays have appeared in TIME, The Sun, and Lit Hub. Poems have appeared in Electric Literature, The Believer, and The Los Angeles Review. The recipient of fellowships from the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, Civitella Ranieri Foundation, and the Wisconsin Arts Board, Cynthia lives in Madison, WI.
To learn more or read her work visit www.cynthiamariehoffman.com.
When is this class offered?
This class is offered Thursday, March 13 from 7-9 p.m. EST. This workshop is open to writers of all levels.
Interested in the class but the date does not work for you? Don’t despair. All registrants will receive a recording of the class within three business days of the course.