"For me, writing isn't a way of being public or private; it's just a way of being. The process is always full of pain, but I like that. It's a reality, and I just accept it as something not to be avoided. This is the life I have. This is the life I write about." - Jamaica Kincaid

Jamaica Kincaid is an absolute wordsmith. However, her unique talent can be overlooked in literary conversations. All The Words A Kincaid Stage: A Close Study of the Works of Jamaica Kincaid takes a close look at the poetry prose Kincaid employs in her work with excerpts of her writing, challenging writing exercises, and provoking class discussions.

Half of the class time will be dedicated to discussion and the other half to writing assignments. There may even be an opportunity to have your work discussed by your classmates.

This is the class for you if you want to expand the way you use language, understand the energy of punctuation and spacing, and are looking for more creative ways to express your ideas.

Open to beginner and intermediate writers.

All class meetings will be held via Zoom. The link to join your Zoom classroom will be provided on the morning of your class. Please check spam folders if you do not receive an email confirmation upon registration. For more information on how to download or use Zoom, please click here.

Meet Your Instructor:
Candice Lola

Candice Lola is a horror writer and sociopolitical commentator based in New York City. She earned her masters in Experimental Humanities from New York University, where her research concentrations included Black protest literature, human rights, and creative writing. Her horror work has been published with Skidmark Zine, In the Words of Womyn International, midnight & indigo Inaugural Issue, midnight & indigo Horror Edition, Furious Lit Anthology, and has been presented at the Las Artelitas gallery. Her political commentary has been featured in The Huffington Post, Honeysuckle Magazine, NBC’s Today, and Curls, Kinks & Culture. She is also a TEDx presenter on the topics of Vodun, horror, and self-identity.

Course Takeaways

• Reading resources for future reference
• Truly unique ways of using words
• Real connections with industry peers
• Writing exercises to use for later projects
• Valuable feedback on creative work
  

Course Expectations

• Students will participate in class discussion and activities
• Students will read the assigned reading
• Students will complete short homework assignments (optional)

Course Skeleton

• Week One:Introduction to Jamaica Kincaid's work and style
• Week Two: Storytelling.The class will break down the specific ways Kincaid uses different elements to wake a story up
• Week Three: Prose study.This week we will break down some of Kincaid's word choices and explore their function
• Week Four: Tricks and treats.Here we discuss some of the "extras" Kincaid used to make her work energizing and compelling