1 session, Saturday, December 16th, 12:00 PM-2:30 PM Eastern Time

online, 14 students max

Once, there was a narrative form so old and powerful that people couldn’t stop themselves from telling and re-telling it. In this class, we’ll explore fairy tales as genre, as structure, and as a magical and limitless source of inspiration for our own writing. We’ll unpack what makes these stories continue to hold their spell over us by exploring different views on the role of fairy tales culturally and psychologically. We’ll look at Kate Bernheimer’s essay on fairy tale form and we will read and discuss excerpts of contemporary fairy tales. Along the way, we’ll complete prompt-based writing exercises, producing fairy tales of our own. By the end of our time together, we’ll gain a deeper understanding of what these age-old tales can bring to our work.

This class is open to all writers and readers, ages 18 and up. Class time will include a mix of presentation, short readings, discussion, writing, and sharing. Participants will leave with a recommended reading list.

About the Instructor

Rebekah Bergman is the author of the novel The Museum of Human History (Tin House 2023). A graduate of Brown University, she earned her MFA in fiction fromThe New School. Rebekah's fiction has been published in Joyland, Wigleaf, The Masters Review Anthology, and other journals. Her nonfiction appears or is forthcoming in Lit Hub, Poets & Writers, and Electric Literature. She is a recipient of a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts grant and was a winner of The Masters Review Anthology Prize. She lives in Rhode Island with her family.

Testimonials from Former Students

“[Rebekah’s class] was really helpful in getting my gears turning and left me feeling excited both to read more stories with these structures and to work on my own stories in these traditions as well.”

“I loved the content of this workshop, the practical (and super fun) examples…and the opportunities to try each prompt out then share as a group.”

“I loved how organized Rebekah was. The presentation, the readings, the prompts, and optional sharing was perfect.“

Telling & Re-Telling: Fairy Tales as Inspiration, 1 Session with Rebekah Bergman