Braided Essay

Seven Thursday Sessions

6:00-8:00pm

Dates: 1/2 – 3/19 (OFF 2/19 & 3/5)

Back in 2024, during an AWP workshop, the writer Nicole Walker described the braided essay as a form that demonstrates “resistance to itself” and “to any one thread.” It’s a form that’s necessary and versatile when it feels impossible to write about merely one topic head on. We’ll explore work by the aforementioned writer, Lilly Dancyger, Eula Biss, Lidia Yuknavitch, and many more. Whether you are working on this structure for the first time or have a plethora of drafts that need chiseling, this small group setting will center on expanding your knowledge and expertise in the art of the braided essay. The ultimate goal is to generate new drafts and apply editing techniques to strengthen them.

• Attendees will read and analyze strong braided essays that weave together different threads/braids/strands to form a complete essay.
• Weekly craft talks will explore structure, white space, juxtaposition—all building upon one another to deepen editing and revision skills.
• Writing prompts will invite experimentation both within and beyond workshop hours.
• Participants will have the opportunity to share their work and receive goal-oriented feedback.
• The workshop will foster a small environment that encourages curiosity, risk-taking, and creative growth.