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Meet THe Team
Like the hermit crab, this style of personal essay assumes a borrowed (and often unexpected) form as an outer shell. The narrative’s rich insides are encased and revealed through a different structure. There are limitless possibilities, such as obituaries, recipes, questionnaires, manuals, or ads. In this course, we’ll read and discuss various examples of hermit crab essays. We will explore how the structure itself strengthens the narrative. Through writing exercises, we’ll experiment with various “shells” and draft our own essays, unearthing new meaning and hidden surprises in the unique forms that make each piece even more resonant.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Medium
• Homework: Required
• Workshopping Drafts: Optional
Lara Hughes is a fiction writer who was born in Germany and raised on various military bases. She holds an MFA from Vanderbilt University where she received an Edgar H. Duncan Fellowship Award, taught undergraduate creative writing, and served as Nonfiction Editor for the Nashville Review. She is the winner of the 2022 Emerging Writer’s Prize from The Arkansas International, where her work will be forthcoming in the fall.
"I loved Lara's class! I really enjoyed how Lara structured the class as a blend of lecture, conversation and a few writing exercises. It made the time pass very quickly and the material didn't get overwhelming. I absolutely felt inspired and believe the work I did in this class will help me with some works in progress!"
"Lara was intuitive and responsive, smart and articulate."
