Monstrous Women Schedule

Summer is coming to a close, and we’re getting geared up for a new section of Monstrous Women with Introductions starting the last week of August. There are currently only three seats left for the Tuesday Thursday night section of this workshop. Classes run through the first week of December and will be held from 6-8:30 pm MST (5-7:30 pm PST/ 7-9:30 pm CST/ 8-10:30 EST/ 10 am-12:30 pm Wednesday AEST).

Over the course of 14 weeks, participants will write five short stories based on the following themes: The Shifting Shapes of Animal Brides, The Seductive Allure of the Femme Fatale, Weeping Women and Tearful Prophecies, The Female Descent into Hysteria and Madness, Mayhem in Numbers and the Sacred Three. Participants will also have the opportunity to workshop a selection of revised stories during portfolio sessions, which are held the last two weeks of class.

In addition to the workshop materials and critique sessions, participants are required to read The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley–a modern retelling of Beowulf from the perspective of Grendel’s mother. According to Headley, Beowulf has been translated incorrectly, and her retelling hinges on one word in particular: aglæca/æglæca. This word is used to describe not only Beowulf, but also his three antagonists Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon as well.  Read more about Headley’s research and applications towards a modern retelling in the NPR Author Interview: “Beowulf In The Suburbs? ‘The Mere Wife’ Is An Epic Retelling“.

New York Times bestselling author Maria Dahvana Headley presents a modern retelling of the literary classic Beowulf, set in American suburbia as two mothers―a housewife and a battle-hardened veteran―fight to protect those they love in The Mere Wife.

REGISTRATION: To save a seat for Monstrous Women: A Feminist Approach to Myth and Myth, send an email request for an invoice to Carina Bissett at cmariebissett@gmail.com. The fee to attend the workshop is $450, payable to cmariebissett@gmail.com via PayPal. There is a $100 non-refundable deposit required to hold your spot with payment in FULL prior to the first class. (Payment plans available upon request.) Returning students receive a 10% discount. Registration packet includes detailed information on each module, expectations and etiquette, and educational materials. Space is limited.