BA, Harvard College. Author of So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star (Broadway Books, 2004) and the drummer for the band Semisonic. He has written for The New York Times, has been a commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition, and he blogs about connections between music, writing, and other art forms at portablephilosophy.com. SLC, 2013–
Writing
Open, Seminar—Spring
WRIT 3739
We write personal essays to learn about ourselves, face our demons, understand what entangles us, expose the lies we have allowed ourselves to believe, recognize what we are running away from, find insight, and tell the truth. This workshop is designed for students interested in doing that work and learning to craft what they have written so that their readers can share in that learning. We will learn to read as writers, write as readers, and, where relevant, draw connections between writing and other creative fields such as music and film.
Faculty
MFA Writing
Workshop—Fall
WRIT 7710
This course, which takes its title from Vivian Gornick’s classic book, is intended to help students settle into their voices and produce work that resonates with their experiences, interests, and insights. The prime focus will be personal essay and memoir. The course work will include workshop pieces that students develop in conversation with the instructor and shorter exercises intended to open the student’s awareness as both a reader and a writer. We will engage in a deepened practice of reading and learn to draw connections between writing and other creative fields, such as music and film.
Faculty
MFA Writing
Workshop—Fall
This course is intended to help each student settle into her voice and produce work that resonates with her distinct set of experiences, interests, and insights. The prime focus will be personal essay and memoir.
The coursework will include workshop pieces that students develop in conversation with the instructor and shorter exercises intended to open students’ awareness of their process. Students can expect to do an extensive amount of revision, to engage in a deepened practice of reading, and to draw connections between writing and other creative fields such as music and film.
Faculty
Workshop—Fall
This course is intended to help each student settle into her voice and produce work that resonates with her distinct set of experiences, interests, and insights. The prime focus will be personal essay and memoir. The course work will include workshop pieces that students develop in conversation with the instructor and shorter exercises intended to open students’ awareness of their process. Students can expect to do an extensive amount of revision, to engage in a deepened practice of reading, and to draw connections between writing and other creative fields such as music and film.
Faculty
Workshop—Fall
78151
This course, which takes its title from Vivian Gornick’s classic book, is intended to help students settle into their voices and produce work that resonates with their experiences, interests, and insights. The prime focus will be personal essay and memoir. The course work will include workshop pieces that students develop in conversation with the instructor and shorter exercises intended to open the student’s awareness as both a reader and a writer. We will engage in a deepened practice of reading and learn to draw connections between writing and other creative fields, such as music and film.
Faculty
Writing
Open, Seminar—Spring
We write personal essays to learn about ourselves, to face our demons, to understand what entangles us, to expose the lies that we have allowed ourselves to believe, to recognize what we are running away from, to find insight, and/or to tell the truth. This workshop is designed for students interested in doing that work and learning to craft what they have written so that their readers can share in that learning. We will learn to read as writers, write as readers, and, where relevant, draw connections between writing and other creative fields such as music and film.