From Observation to Discovery: Writing Personal Essays on Art with Jehanne Dubrow
October 10 @ 10:00 am - 2:30 pm CDT
Sat, October 10
10am – 2:30pm CT (with a 30 minute lunch), via Zoom
Nonmember: $120; Member: $100; Student/Educ/Mil: $84
*EARN CPEs; SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE
Sharpen your powers of observation through ekphrasis! By closely examining works of art and writing in response to them, you’ll discover new ways of seeing artwork, yourself, and the world around you. Discover how ekphrasis offers a visual springboard for unlocking stories and insights we didn’t even know existed inside of us.
In this one-day course, participants will read examples of ekphrastic writing from across genres and learn how to research the history of an art piece. Through guided writing exercises, we’ll write about our art discoveries while engaging the five senses and using concrete, specific details. Participants will then weave their description, research, and a personal experience together to generate an ekphrastic personal essay.
Students should come to class with an image of a piece of art that has personal meaning to them. This course is open to writers of all genres and skill level, 18+.
Students will leave this class with:
- A first draft of an essay that engages with a work of art
- An understanding of how ekphrasis can be used to break through writer’s block
- Concrete strategies for blending research with personal stories
Jehanne Dubrow is the author of three books of nonfiction, ten poetry collections, and a craft book. Her book-length essay, Frivolity: A Defense, is forthcoming from Columbia University Press in fall 2026. Her writing has appeared in numerous literary journals, including New England Review, Southern Review, and Ploughshares. She is a Distinguished Research Professor and a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Texas.
