Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories author Steve Almond returns with a fresh quartet of classes laser focused on inspiring new work. Each week, we'll find inspiration in a different subject, produce new writing, and learn by sharing that work. You have nothing to lose but your inhibitions! Attend all 4 or order ala carte. All sessions will be live and recorded for maximum viewing pleasure.

February 2nd: A Few Frank Words About Sex

Sexuality is a part of the human arrangement. We all have desires, kinks, hang-ups, and libidos. In this class, we’ll focus on the ways in which sexuality can be a pathway to truth, vulnerability, shame, and liberation. We’ll look at the work of masters such as Mary Gordon and Toni Morrison as a means of exploring the possibilities of the erotic.

February 9th: What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been: Your Prose on Drugs

We’ve all had moments where we turned to illicit substances as a way of managing our anxieties, cutting loose, retreating from pain, and even finding a path to greater enlightenment. We’ll look at the work of Denis Johnson and others to understand the ecstatic prose that can arise from bad trips.

February 16th: Rock n Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution

For better or worse, our lives have a soundtrack, particular albums and songs that bring us back to a charged moment or era in our lives. In this class, we’ll look at the work of John Darnielle, Don DeLillo, and other rock and roll writers, and use these examples as a way of exploring our own personal soundtracks. Turn it up to eleven.

February 23rd: No Pain, No Gain: Violence on the Page

For our final class, we’ll look at how acts of violence—both physical and emotional—can haunt us. By examining the work of James Baldwin, Joyce Carol Oates, and others, we’ll discover how violent acts can give expression to psychic pain, and allow us to find the truth at the center of acts that can feel out-of-control and senseless.

Suggested companion text: Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories (Zando, April 2024)

About the instructor

Steve Almond is the author of twelve books of fiction and non-fiction including the New York Times bestsellers Candyfreak and Against Football. His first novel, Which Brings Me to You (co-written with Julianna Baggott) was made into way-better-than-he-expected movie starring Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff. His last novel, All the Secrets of the World, is in development for television by 20th Century Fox. His work has appeared in the Best American Short Stories, the Pushcart Prize, Best American Mysteries, and the NYT Magazine. His most recent book, Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow, is about craft, inspiration, and how to keep going at the keyboard. Almond teaches at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism and lives outside Boston with his family and his anxiety.

How to Write Dangerous Prose: A Walk on the Wild Side, a Generative 4 Part Series with Steve Almond