The Power of the Grotesque in Prose and Poetry with Michał Choiński (via Zoom)

The two-hour master class will be dedicated to the discussion of the grotesque aesthetics and the way it may be utilized in literature. We will first explore the origins of the grotesque and its expressive, psychological potential. Here, we’ll focus strongly on the uncanny, the carnivalesque and the nightmarish aspects of grotesque aesthetics. Next, we will take a detailed look into a selection of text fragments by prose authors (Flannery O’Connor, Sherwood Anderson, and William Faulkner), as well as poets (Jorie Graham, Natasha Trethewey) to better understand how these authors wielded the grotesque expression.

NB: This class will be taught on Zoom and will be capped at 15 students. Registrants will receive the Zoom link to the email address they use to register. It will arrive immediately after registration so please check your spam folder if you do not receive it. It will also be sent the day before class as a reminder. Please review the course policies page before registering for any classes. Please email ask@writerscenter.org with any questions.

The scholarship application for the Altman Person of Color Scholarships, Limp Wrist LGBTQIA+ Scholarships, and the Need-Based Scholarships will be available on May 1 and will be due on May 15 for all summer and fall classes.

Michał Choiński teaches literature at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Choiński’s research focuses on Digital Humanities and the literature of the American South. His latest book Southern Hyperboles  came out with Louisiana State University Press in 2020. He has published essays, poems and translations of poetry in journals in Poland, US, UK and Canada. Choiński’s pamphlet, Gifts Without Wrapping came out with the Hedgehog Press as a winner of a poetry competition. He was a guest lectuer, teaching literature and creative writing at various universities in the US (Yale University, University of South Carolina, Salem State Univesity, and College of Charleston), UK (Queens University), and Italy (University of Padua). In 2020, he was awarded with senior Fulbright Fellowship at Yale University.