The course

Crossing the Threshold

As Ecclesiastes and Fleetwood Mac teach us: life moves in seasons. How have writers throughout time navigated the transformative passages of human and greater-than-human life? The answer is: differently. In this multi-genre course, we will read and discuss works that explore themes such as death, love, ecstatic states, ecotones, seasonal and circadian rhythms, and existential forks in the yellow wood. We will add to these works with our own efforts, writing from prompts and sharing our work as a class. (Note: though participants will be invited to reflect on peer work, this is emphatically not a traditional workshop.) Homework will include periods of observation and reflection outdoors, journaling, and editing work written in-class. 

Readings may include Dante Alighieri, Octavia Butler, Teresa Avila, Christopher Okigbo, Nelly Sachs, James Hollis, Joy Harjo, Hafez, Masahide, Baldwin, Simone Weil, Annie Dillard, R.D. Laing, Toni Morrison, and many more!

Duration: This class meets over six consecutive Sundays from 3-6 pm ET (12-3 pm PST) from  March 3 – April 14 (skipping March 31).

Application period: Apply by February 5th.

The Instructor

Lisa Wells is a poet and nonfiction writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, Harper’s, Orion, Granta, The Believer, and n+1. She lives in Seattle and is an editor for The Volta and Letter Machine Editions. She is the author of Believers: Making a Life at the End of the World.