TMI

TMI is a free, experimental non-fiction pop-up school running from Feb 21st to April 24th 2016. The classes will be held at Aro Valley Hall on Sunday evenings from 5.30 to 7.30 pm The class size is limited, so registration is required

 

The course is free and open to anyone 18 and over

 

It's going to be practical. It's probably going to be emotionally intensive. There will be weekly writing assignments for you to complete

 

The course is BYO. Yes I'm serious

 

I am prioritizing emotional & structural risk taking over creating a cohesive finished product. By the end of the course we will have a diverse portfolio of work derived from set exercises, but that is not the core focus. There are no grades or exams. There will be a public reading at the end of the course. We are going to read widely. This is not a workshopping group, although we will discuss each other's work. We will be looking at the different forms experimental non-fiction can take, and the intersection of writing and life. We are going to talk about our lives. Course topics include:

 

HOW DO WE GET TO THE BOTTOM OF OUR SHIT?

 

TO WRITE HONESTLY DO WE NEED TO LIVE HONESTLY AND WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?

 

DOES LIFE HAVE A NARRATIVE ARC AND IS IT OKAY TO PRETEND IT DOES?

 

IS THERE REALLY SUCH A THING AS OVERSHARING OR IS JONATHAN FRANZEN JUST REALLY PRECIOUS ABOUT BODILY FLUIDS?

 

HOW DO WE WRITE HONESTLY ABOUT OUR LIVES AND NOT FUCK OTHER PEOPLE OVER?

 

HOW IS EVERYONE DOING THIS WEEK? DID YOU TALK TO YOUR MOTHER ABOUT NOT GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR OR WAS SHE AT HER CAPOEIRA CLASS AGAIN?

 

DO THE STORIES WE CHOOSE TO TELL ABOUT OURSELVES HURT OR SERVE US?

 

The only straight white man we are studying is Eduoard Leve, but that was an accident. In addition to Chris Kraus, Joe Brainard, Tove Jansson, Lynda Barry, Jenny Zhang, Hilton Als, Sheila Heti, bell hooks, Kate Zambreno, HD, Eileen Myles & many more, we will be looking at advice columns, tumblr, old e-mails we wish we hadn't sent and other non-traditional publishing platforms.

 

I won't accept any homophobia, racism, transphobia, sexism or otherwise shitty behaviour. If you are an asshole, or you make anyone feel uncomfortable you will be asked to leave.