Demographic studies suggest that the audience for true crime is primarily comprised of women. In I’ll Be You, we will address the theory that the genre offers itself as a reflective surface in which we are invited to empathetically over-identify with both victimization and violence. We will look at our fascination for sordid stories, what these histories emotionally satisfy, and how this type of information can be channeled into our work.
Alissa Bennett's essays and short fiction have appeared in publications including Paris Review, The New York Times, Vogue, Ursula and Art Forum. Bennett co-hosts the podcast The C-Word with Lena Dunham, and is currently completing a script about Edith Wharton. She is a teacher at Yale School of Art.
MFA Writing Colloquium: Alissa Bennett: I’ll Be You: Popular Culture, Crime, and Autobiography
Slonim SLON Living Room / Stone Room
Open to the public
/ Thursday