Writing Workshops & Courses

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The Writing Institute

E-mail

914.323.6170

Whether this is your first writing class or you’re finishing your next book, The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College helps writers grow and connect with a community of passionate writers. 

Our classes and workshops range from generative experiences to revision focused workshops, including one day craft intensives and seminars on publishing. Virtual writing workshops and in person classes at our Bronxville, NY campus are available. 

All writers welcome!

Questions about which class is best for you? Contact the Writing Institute at writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu. We're here to help. 

Upcoming Classes

Vanessa Friedman Headshot

5 Week Workshop: You Are the Expert

By the end of this course each student will have a more robust library to reference when thinking about nonfiction, an expanded vocabulary to talk about the craft of writing memoir, and both the practical skills and the enthusiastic spark necessary to tell their own stories.

June 8th to July 6th, 2023
Thursdays, 6:00pm-8:00pm EST
on Zoom 

More Info
Brittany Deininger Headshot

5 Day Workshop: Poetry as Prayer

Introducing new instructor Brittany Deininger! Where Do Poetry and Prayer Converge? The invitation of this course comes from a place of wide questions and curiosity rather than answers and certainty. Using writing prompts each session we’ll seek to generate material for new poems in a spirit of experimentation and playfulness. 

July 10th - July 14th, 2023 
Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 12:00pm EST 
On Campus

More Info
Noah

One Day Poetry Seminar: Truth or Dare: The Synesthetic Image

In this generative workshop and craft class, students will explore how creating unlikely families of sensory details can make tangible the ineffable or even make a destination out of a crossroad. 

Tuesday, June 20th, 2023

6:00pm to 8:30pm EST on Zoom

More Info
Deesha

Craft Seminar: Raising the Stakes in Fiction

Join Deesha Philyaw for a brand new craft seminar! Who is your main character? What do they want? What's at stake for them? If your story’s stakes are too low or unclear, readers will wonder, “So what?” And if we want readers to keep reading, we’d better have a good answer to that question. Through generative writing exercises, attendees will raise stakes for characters from their work-in-progress, or start something new.

July 25th, 2023 
Tuesday, 6:00pm - 8:30pm EST 
On Zoom 

More Info
Elaine Sexton Headshot

One Day Workshop: Printed Matter: D.IY. Bookmaking for Writers 

In this day-long workshop, students will learn how to use and make several styles of easy-to-make and easy-to-reproduce handmade books. This class will challenge your idea of the book as a vessel for finished work, but one step in the writing process. 

June 24th, 2023
Saturday, 10:00am - 2:00pm EST 
On Campus 

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Akhir

Two Day Workshop: The Art of Endings

Join writer akhir ali for this robust workshop on how short stories guide their readers toward that final line. We will read the works of Chekhov, Shirley Jackson, Lesley Nneka Arimah, Amie Barrodale, and others to extract some key elements of end-making.  As a result, you will leave this craft class with a renewed understanding of how to write your stories through to the end.

June 5th & June 12th, 2023
Mondays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST
on Zoom
More Info

Summer Session One: May & June

Registration closes one week before start date. Please see safety guidelines for on campus classes on class registration page. Questions? Email writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu or call 914 323 6170. 

 

Summer Session Two: July & August

Registration closes one week before start date. Please see safety guidelines for on campus classes on registration page for on campus classes. 

Upcoming Readings & Events


  • June 17th at 6:30pm EST -  Books on the Barge, a unique author talk and cocktail hour on the Science Barge in Yonkers, NY. Guests will enjoy hors d'oeuvres inspired by the author's book before an intimate reading and author talk with Allegra Hyde. RSVP here. 
  • June 22nd at 6:30pm EST - Wrexham Road: One Night in June. RSVP here to hear from authors Barbara Joseelsohn, Cynthia Manick, Helen Schulman, and Priyanka Taslim in our beautiful Remy Theater on campus. 
  • July 20th at 5:00pm EST - Our July Community Reading! RSVP here to come cheer on your fellow writers on Zoom.. All are welcome! 

To keep up to date on what's happening at The Writing Institute, sign up for our newsletter and watch this space for more information.

What Are Asynchronous Classes?

Our online asynchronous classes give students the flexibility to complete coursework on their own schedule. Each course offers discussion prompts, writing prompts, craft discussions, and opportunities to receive feedback on your work, as well as a once-a-week live virtual meeting with the instructor.

Does The Writing Institute Offer One-on-One Instruction?

We do not currently offer one-on-one instruction through The Writing Institute. However, our classes are small and offer individualized attention. Please reach out to us for course recommendations based on your specific needs at writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu.

What is Your Cancellation Policy?

Please read carefully to review our refund and course voucher policies. 


Canceling a registration before a course starts:
Students who withdraw from a course 14 days prior to the start of class will receive a full course voucher; if a credit card refund is preferred please email writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu. There is a $50 administrative fee for refunds. Please note that there are no refunds or vouchers for one day intensives, yearlong classes or Advanced classes where space is limited. 

Students who drop out of a course 72 hours or more prior to the first class will receive a course voucher minus the $50 administrative fee. towards a future course of the same tuition. No refunds are available 72 hours or less before a class begins.

Canceling a course registration after attending the first session:
Students who drop out of a course after the first class will be refunded 50% of their tuition. Requests for partial refunds must be received in writing at writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu. 

Canceling a course registration after attending two or more sessions:
There will be no refunds after the second class. There will be some inevitable exceptions to this rule based on extenuating circumstances, at the discretion of the director of The Writing Institute.

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