Do you like animals? OF COURSE.

Do you like writing? YES, DUH.

Then I have the *perfect* class for you: Of Mice and Writers: Writing About Non-Human Animals. It’s happening a week from today on Friday, February 1, from 10am-5pm, at GrubStreet.

Here’s the course description:

For as long as stories have existed, humans have included non-human animals in their tales (or should I say… tails). From Anansi the Spider to Aesop’s fables, from E.B. White’s pig to Jean Craighead George’s wolves, from Helen Macdonald’s hawk to Samantha Irby’s cat to Sy Montgomery’s octopus to Porochista Khakpour’s dog, animals show up in all forms of literature: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children’s, poetry and prose, ancient and contemporary. This session will explore how authors approach writing about animals, both domesticated and wild, in both fiction and nonfiction, and address some of the common questions that come up when writing about non-humans: avoiding sentimentality, grappling with anthropomorphism, and developing animal characters that are more than thinly-veiled allegories. In addition to reading literary excerpts featuring animals, this session will include several writing exercises to help you tackle writing about your own feathered, scaly, or furry friend.

Do you wish you could take this course but you’re under 18? GREAT NEWS.

I am also teaching a *free* version of this class for teen writers as part of GrubStreet’s Young Adult Writers Program on Saturday, February 9, from 12pm-4pm. It’s called Writing Critters: Writing About Non-Human Animals.

Sign up today! You know your pet is just begging you to write their biography!

The post Calling all animal-loving writers! appeared first on E.B. Bartels.

If you don’t trust me, trust Terrence. He endorses all of these courses.

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Terrence is working on an essay about the challenges of being cold-blooded.

The Personal Essay in Progress
January 22 – March 26, Tuesdays from 6pm-9pm

• Class for writing students already working on their own essays!
• Open to intermediate and advanced writers.
• Meets in person at the GrubStreet Headquarters in Boston.
• 10-week course.
• Scholarships available!

This workshop is designed for writers who are already working on a variety of personal essay projects and want to receive regular feedback on them in a supportive and constructively critical environment. Typically, each week, three students will bring in up to 5 pages (approx. 1,500 words maximum) of a personal essay draft to be workshopped the following week. Depending on enrollment, each student should expect to present work for the workshop at least three times. Based on students’ needs, goals, and issues as they arise, the workshop will also include discussions on craft of personal essay writing, and reading of exemplary works in the genre.  The instructor will offer written feedback on one complete draft of any single essay. For intermediate and advanced students. Since the content of personal essays often reflect intimate issues, controversial views, and real-life situations, we will ensure that conversations around the work -and its content- takes place in a safe, supportive, and respectful space. The goal is for you to leave with finished pieces that, through solid feedback, reflect the best approach for you and your work. The workshop will also include discussions on craft of personal essay writing, and reading of exemplary works in the genre, including but not limited to: James Baldwin, Eula Biss, Alexander Chee, Brian Doyle, Morgan Jerkins, and Zadie Smith.

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray “APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP” button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee’s decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.

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Terrence wants to know more about travel essays so he can write about his journey from the kitchen to the living room.

6 Weeks, 6 Essays
January 25 – March 1, Fridays from 6pm-9pm

• The perfect class if you want to learn about and experiment with different types of essays!
• Open to all writers of all levels.
• Meets in person at the GrubStreet Headquarters in Boston.
• 6-week course.
• Scholarships available!

In this fun, intensive class, over the course of six weeks, writers will produce six short essays (between 500 and 1,000 words each). Each week we will look at model essays, including pieces by, but not limited to, Eula Biss, Roxane Gay, Brian Doyle, Margo Jefferson, Natalia Ginzburg, David Sedaris, Leslie Jamison, and Daisy Hernández. Students will respond to prompts based on the works we have read and bring copies of their completed essays to class each week, where they will read them aloud and receive on-the-spot feedback in brief workshop sessions. At the end of the class, students will leave with a path forward to possible publication for their half-a-dozen essay drafts!

Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the “APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP” button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee’s decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

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This is the perfect class for Terrence as it’s difficult for him to get into Boston sometimes.

6 Weeks, 6 Essays: Online
ONLINE, January 23 – February 27

• Just like 6 Weeks, 6 Essays but ONLINE!
• Open to all writers of all levels.
• 6-week course.
• Scholarships available!
• Did I mention it is ONLINE so you can take it from ANYWHERE?!

Sometimes the smallest moment (or the shortest essay) holds the greatest revelation. In this online class you will write six personal essays between 500 and 1,000 words. You’ll generate a lot of material, refine your skills, explore challenges in style and voice, and take a fresh look at your life experience. By working in a shorter format, you’ll also find ways to tighten your prose and improve your storytelling skills. We’ll look at examples of published essays and discuss as a class, as well as hold smaller discussions of each other’s work to provide feedback and support.You will come out of the course with fresh drafts of multiple essays and the insight, inspiration, and knowledge of craft to begin tackling revision.

*Note that while our handy dandy “Schedule” tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Assignments and deadlines will be given by your instructor. Students will have access to the online class portal starting at 5pm on the first day of class. Instructions for logging onto the online portal will be emailed to registered students before 5pm the first day of class.

Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the “APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP” button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee’s decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

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Terrence is personally invested in this course for obvious reasons.

Of Mice and Writers: Writing about Non-Human Animals
Friday, February 1, 10am-5pm

• NEW course!
• Open to all writers of all levels.
• Meets in person at the GrubStreet Headquarters in Boston.
• One-time six-hour class (with an hour break for lunch).
• Scholarships available!

For as long as stories have existed, humans have included non-human animals in their tales (or should I say… tails). From Anansi the Spider to Aesop’s fables, from E.B. White’s pig to Jean Craighead George’s wolves, from Helen Macdonald’s hawk to Samantha Irby’s cat to Sy Montgomery’s octopus to Porochista Khakpour’s dog, animals show up in all forms of literature: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children’s, poetry and prose, ancient and contemporary. This session will explore how authors approach writing about animals, both domesticated and wild, in both fiction and nonfiction, and address some of the common questions that come up when writing about non-humans: avoiding sentimentality, grappling with anthropomorphism, and developing animal characters that are more than thinly-veiled allegories. In addition to reading literary excerpts featuring animals, this session will include several writing exercises to help you tackle writing about your own feathered, scaly, or furry friend.

Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply, click the “APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP” button in the top right corner of this page. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your scholarship application and await our Scholarship Committee’s decision before registering for the class. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

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This class is *free* which is great for Terrence because tortoises don’t have money.

Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP): Writing Critters: Writing about Non-Human Animals
Saturday, February 9, 12pm-4pm

• NEW course!
• Open to young adult writers (13-18 years old).
• ***100% COMPLETELY FREE!*** 
• Meets in person at the GrubStreet Headquarters in Boston.
• Includes free pizza for lunch!

Class Description: 

For as long as stories have existed, humans have included non-human animals in their tales (or should I say… tails). From Anansi the Spider to Aesop’s fables, from E.B. White’s pig to Jean Craighead George’s wolves, from Samantha Irby’s cat to Sy Montgomery’s octopus, animals show up in all forms of literature: fiction and nonfiction, adult and children’s, poetry and prose, ancient and contemporary. This session will explore how authors approach writing about animals, both domesticated and wild, in both fiction and nonfiction, and address some of the common questions that come up when writing about non-humans: avoiding sentimentality, grappling with anthropomorphism, and developing animal characters that are more than thinly-veiled allegories.

Takeaways:

In addition to reading literary excerpts featuring animals, this session will include several writing exercises to help you tackle writing about your own feathered, scaly, or furry friend.

Who Should Register?

For high school writers age 13 – 18 ONLY. Writing notebooks will be available, but feel free to bring your own.

*If you are registering on behalf of your teen, add their email information in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen before you check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet. 

(After adding the class to your cart, click “Checkout” and click “Add” next to “For a Friend or Child?” on the right-hand side to fill in their email. This is an easy way of linking the class to your child and encourages them to create their own account.)

Parents/guardians must also complete this permission form online before the start of the class.

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P.S.

If you’re too overwhelmed this winter with your new gym membership and your Whole 30 diet plans, no worries! Save the date for this spring: Friday, May 10, 2019 from 5:30pm-6:30pm I will be teaching a *free* happy hour writing session at GrubStreet. There will be wine! And did I mention it is free?!

The post Is your New Year’s resolution to write more? Take a class at GrubStreet! appeared first on E.B. Bartels.

In case you missed it, I now share my home with a celebrity. Terrence the tortoise (a.k.a. @theofficialmrt) was featured in the summer 2018 issue of Wellesley Magazine, in a piece called “The Heart of a Pet” by Lisa Scanlon Mogolov. The fame is really going to his head, and he is becoming insufferable to deal with. But it’s okay, I still love him. I mean, just look at that cute illustration by Miranda Sofroniou! What a guy.

The post Terrence the tortoise is a celebrity! appeared first on E.B. Bartels.

As you may know, I’ve become a bit of a regular reader at the Mortified show at Oberon, thanks to the best-ever Mortified producer, Sara Faith Alterman. But now I’m super excited to share that you don’t have to be in the Cambridge area to hear me read my most embarrassing childhood journal entries!

Check out the most recent episode of the Mortified Podcast (89: An Ode to Childhood Pets), to hear about my past pet tortoise Aristotle and my current book project. I’m honored to be featured with such hilarious individuals––and it’s comforting to know I wasn’t the only kid who felt closer to animals than people, or who tried to incorporate pets into every possible school project. Thanks to Neil Katcher for interviewing me and including me in the podcast.

Listen here or download on iTunes.

The post Mortified Podcast! appeared first on E.B. Bartels.

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Looking around the New England Reptile Expo, I decided I wasn’t one of these people.

Older men examined crickets, kids clutched Tupperwares of geckos, but the crowd seemed mostly twenty-to-forty-year-olds trapped in a mall-Goth-teenager phase. Baggy black pants. Dark dyed hair. Clothing from Hot Topic. Tattoos of reptiles. Live snakes around arms. Piercings. Lizards on shoulders. Pasty skin. Glazed eyes.

“I bet most of these people listen to Marilyn Manson,” my boyfriend, Richie, whispered.

The post IT HAPPENED TO ME: I Didn’t Know Crazy Turtle Ladies Were A Thing Until I Became One appeared first on E.B. Bartels.

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I used to be a regular at the pet store on the second floor of my local mall, down by Sears. Whenever I had to go with my mom to run errands, at the end of our quest, I would drag her to the pet shop. I gaped at the squirmy puppies – all cartilage – and kittens no more than eyes and fluff, along with the usual sickly goldfish and colorful, preachy birds. What got me though was that they had tortoises. In a hexagon plexiglass-walled pen in the middle of the store, filled with sawdust chips and a miniature wooden house, a dozen desert tortoises casually plodded, frequently pushing into each other, like bumper cars toward the end of the ride when the mechanisms wind down. Their earthy brown-and-gold shells made them seem like boulders that had come to life, rolling about at their own will. I admired the methodical and slow yet determined pace that they kept, much like senior citizens who walked laps between Lord & Taylor and the food court.

The post Aristotle the Turtle: Dead Pet Chronicles appeared first on E.B. Bartels.