“Lyric essays have the power to soothe, to harrow, to persuade, to move, to raise, to rouse, to overcome.”
~ Randon Billings Noble, A Harp in the Stars
In this six-week course, writers will explore the meaning of the lyric essay; how the autobiographical and poetic merge to create something larger than the sum of its parts. Based on four essay forms (flash, segmented, braided and hermit crab essays) introduced during the first four weeks of the course, participants will develop one lyric essay to be shared in weeks five or six.
The course will include direct instruction, lively group discussion, literary readings as examples (one or two assigned per week), writing exercises, and in-class peer and instructor feedback. This course is designed for any participant with an interest in engaging and experimenting with literary essay forms.
This workshop will be facilitated by Adelle Purdham.
[see bio below]
The Spring 2026 workshop is SOLD OUT! Submit your info here if you’d like to join the waitlist:
DATES & DETAILS
NORTH AMERICA: Thursdays, April 23 to May 28 {6 weekly sessions}
4-6pm Pacific Time (Vancouver/Los Angeles) / 7-9pm Eastern Time (Toronto/New York)
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: Fridays, April 24 to May 29 {6 weekly sessions}
9am-11pm AEDT (Sydney) / 12-2pm NZDT (Auckland)
* * *
⏰ Please note: This workshop may run during the time changes for daylight savings.
Please confirm the time in your time zone weekly.
COST:
Cost of the 6-week workshop:
CAD$425 / USD$375 / AUD$475 / NZD$525
Limited to 10 participants.
Adelle Purdham (she/her) is an educator, parent disability ally, and bestselling author of the memoir-in-essays I Don’t Do Disability And Other Lies I’ve Told Myself (Dundurn Press, 2024), which was named an Indigo and 49th Shelf ‘Most Anticipated’ Memoir & Biography and a 2024 ‘Nonfiction Book of the Year’ by The Miramichi Reader.
She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from The University of King’s College. Her prose and poetry appear in literary journals, anthologies, magazines, newspapers and online. Adelle is a Sessional Part-time Faculty member at Trent University where she teaches creative writing. She lives and writes in her hometown, Nogojiwanong (Peterborough), Ontario.
If you have any questions or difficulty registering, we’re happy to help!
Just write to heather@alisonwearing.com.