WriterHouse upcoming events

Writing the Hardest Part: How Writers Bring Difficult Experience to the Page - Part III Continued (Erin James) (November 09, 2026)

Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

This class* will meet in person at WriterHouse for 12 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:45 AM, Sept. 14 through Nov. 30.

* Prerequisite for this class: completion of Writing the Hardest Part - Parts I, II, and III. Email programs@writerhouse.org if you would like to pay in two installments.

Description

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something.” Judith Butler, Precarious Life

Much has been written about the self-care that writers must practice if engaged in the art of transforming our most painful and difficult moments into story. This class will leave that up to our therapists, and focus instead on the justifications for doing so, and how to care for those on the receiving end of our stories.

Rooted in Maggie Nelson’s theory of art as “a place where all elements—even extremities—of what it feels like to be human can be heard and find place,” we will explore the techniques used by various nonfiction writers to handle difficult content, expand upon the craft archive of trauma we began to build in Part I of this course, and workshop our works-in-progress.

In addition to exploring the creative struggles of other writers and drawing inspiration from what helped them put words to their experience, we will hold space for our own anxieties about writing difficult experience and engage in craft exercises meant to help us do so with care for and awareness of the self and the other.

Participants will also receive feedback on their works-in-progress and provide feedback to others. In-class writing will be generative, and a variety of prompts will be offered each week. Participants will leave with a framework for bringing their difficult experiences to the page and feedback on their current work.

In this 12-week offering, we will continue to give and receive feedback on our work, explore personal essays and longer memoir excerpts, and take time for in-class writing and discussion.

About the Instructor

Erin has taught English and Creative Writing for over a decade and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University in 2024.

In addition to working with students at WriterHouse for the past ten years, she has been a judge for the Writer‘s Eye Creative Writing Contest hosted by the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art. She has also been a student and teacher-counselor at UVA’s Young Writers Workshop. She has attended two week-long workshops for Teachers as Writers at Bard College’s Institute for Writing and Thinking in 2014 and 2016 and received an author fellowship to attend the Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing in 2021. Before she began teaching, she studied Journalism and English at New York University and received her undergraduate degree in English from the University of Virginia. In addition to writing, Erin loves reading, hiking, practicing and teaching yoga, cooking, being outside, traveling, and spending time with her sons Noah and Jacob, and friends.

Advanced Fiction (Jay Kauffmann) (November 11, 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 8 sessions on Wednesdays from 6:00 PM-8:30 PM, Sept. 16 through Nov. 11. There will be no class on Oct. 28.

Sample pages for instructor review required by Sept. 9, 2026.

Description:

This advanced workshop will explore the essential elements of fiction writing, such as sensory imagery, metaphoric language, distinctive voice, sophisticated prose, and dramatic arc. Participants will discuss stories and novel excerpts submitted to the group. In addition, there will be readings and in-class exercises that address pertinent craft issues. But perhaps the most crucial element of the workshop will be the emphasis on confronting some poignant, central theme in your life as an artist and how that impacts your writing. The point of this course is not simply to be proficient but to produce something genuine and important. Students interested in this class are asked to submit 2-3 pages of their work to the instructor for review prior to admission. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis and are due no later than Sept. 9, 2026. Email submissions to programs@writerhouse.org.

About the Instructor:

Jay Kauffmann is a former international model, travel writer, and award-winning poet. He attended Brandeis, U.C./Berkeley, and Oxford, and holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He has taught at Randolph College and the University of Virginia, and is currently English Chair at the Miller School of Albemarle. Author of The Mexican Messiah: A Novella and Stories (Cornerstone Press), he was runner-up for the Leapfrog Global Fiction Prize and nominated for The Story Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and named among the Best New American Voices. His work has appeared in CutBank, Hunger Mountain Review, Prime Number, The Writer’s Chronicle, upstreet, Mid-American Review, and other journals and anthologies.

Ink & Income: Building Your Author Ecosystem -- Revised Description (November 11, 2026)

Wed, 11 Nov 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This class will meet in person at WriterHouse for 4 sessions (Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11) on Wednesdays, from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM.

Ink & Income: Building Your Author Ecosystem In this focused session, we will dive deep into creating an authentic platform that connects your books with the right readers. We will explore practical, step-by-step strategies for growing an engaged newsletter and fostering meaningful audience connection without the burnout. We will also touch on how smart production and packaging choices—from compelling metadata to wide distribution—directly support reader retention and long-term success. Whether you are preparing for your first launch or looking to grow an existing readership, this class will provide actionable tools to build a sustainable author ecosystem.

About the Instructor:

Andi Cumbo is a former creative writing professor, a professional editor, and a publisher who is the author of over 30 books that each incorporate real-life places, people, and events in their pages. She writes cozy mysteries, romantic comedies, YA fantasy, and creative nonfiction and holds and MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Antioch University. She has taught at Santa Clara University, Stevenson University, and George Mason University. When she’s not writing, she and her young son name his toys odd things like “Blech-agh-bah” and try to figure out Lego Fortnite together. She lives in Charlottesville.

Writing the Hardest Part: How Writers Bring Difficult Experience to the Page - Part III Continued (Erin James) (November 16, 2026)

Mon, 16 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

This class* will meet in person at WriterHouse for 12 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:45 AM, Sept. 14 through Nov. 30.

* Prerequisite for this class: completion of Writing the Hardest Part - Parts I, II, and III. Email programs@writerhouse.org if you would like to pay in two installments.

Description

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something.” Judith Butler, Precarious Life

In this 12-week offering, we will continue to give and receive feedback on our work, explore personal essays and longer memoir excerpts, and take time for in-class writing and discussion.

About the Instructor

Erin has taught English and Creative Writing for over a decade and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University in 2024.

Writing the Hardest Part: How Writers Bring Difficult Experience to the Page - Part III Continued (Erin James) (November 23, 2026)

Mon, 23 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

This class* will meet in person at WriterHouse for 12 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:45 AM, Sept. 14 through Nov. 30.

* Prerequisite for this class: completion of Writing the Hardest Part - Parts I, II, and III. Email programs@writerhouse.org if you would like to pay in two installments.

Description

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something.” Judith Butler, Precarious Life

In this 12-week offering, we will continue to give and receive feedback on our work, explore personal essays and longer memoir excerpts, and take time for in-class writing and discussion.

About the Instructor

Erin has taught English and Creative Writing for over a decade and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University in 2024.

Writing the Hardest Part: How Writers Bring Difficult Experience to the Page - Part III Continued (Erin James) (November 30, 2026)

Mon, 30 Nov 2026 14:30:00 GMT

This class* will meet in person at WriterHouse for 12 sessions on Mondays from 9:30-11:45 AM, Sept. 14 through Nov. 30.

* Prerequisite for this class: completion of Writing the Hardest Part - Parts I, II, and III. Email programs@writerhouse.org if you would like to pay in two installments.

Description

“Let’s face it. We’re undone by each other. And if we’re not, we’re missing something.” Judith Butler, Precarious Life

In this 12-week offering, we will continue to give and receive feedback on our work, explore personal essays and longer memoir excerpts, and take time for in-class writing and discussion.

About the Instructor

Erin has taught English and Creative Writing for over a decade and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University in 2024.