Writing Illness in Fiction
Mondays, April 20–May 18 (no class May 4)
Fatima Kola
6:30–8:30pm ET
Craft Course
$275
$250
Illness and pain are often language-defying, even language-annihilating. Virginia Woolf once complained that “literature does its best to maintain that its concern is with the mind”, that the “great wars” that the body “wages by itself” are neglected by the novel. Perhaps this comes as no surprise: our physical discomfort is often ineffable, isolating, and deeply interior—and most of all, hard to convey to others. In this class, we will look at craft strategies for rendering this most difficult form of embodiment on the page. How might we use metaphor, sensation, sensuality, time, space, memory, and surprising language to invite the reader into our character’s bodily experience, and to make pain revelatory, epiphanic, and understood? Course participants will benefit from reading discussions, craft lectures, and in-class writing exercises in exploring this subject. Readings will likely include Virginia Woolf, Jean Stafford, Hilary Mantel, Audre Lorde, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Jamil Jan Kochai, amongst others. Fiction writers of all levels are welcome, especially those working on projects involving the body and its discomforts.
This is a craft course. Our craft courses analyze fiction from a craft perspective and include generative writing exercises. Class will meet once a week for a live Zoom lecture based on the assigned reading. There will also be writing prompts and discussion prompts.
About Fatima Kola:
Fatima Kola is a Senior Lecturer at Vanderbilt University, where she teaches the literature of medicine and health. She holds an MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at UT Austin. She was a 2019–2021 Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University, a 2023 artist-in-residence at Cité internationale des arts in Paris, a 2017 Miles Morland Foundation grantee, and was shortlisted for the Caine Prize in African Writing in 2015. Her work has been published by One Story, Granta, New Contrast, The Guardian and Zoetrope: All-Story. She is currently completing her first novel, about loneliness, the river Thames, haunted bodies, sickness, and time travel.
Schedule
All sessions will take place on Zoom.
Session 1: Monday, April 20, 6:30–8:30pm ET
Session 2: Monday, April 27, 6:30–8:30pm ET
Session 3: Monday, May 11, 6:30–8:30pm ET
Session 4: Monday, May 18, 6:30–8:30pm ET
FAQ
When can I register for this class?
Registration will open soon.
Will class sessions be recorded?
Yes. Recordings will be made available the day after each session.
How does the class work?
This class meets weekly for live Zoom discussions for the duration of the course. Reading and writing assignments will be distributed in Thinkific, our online learning platform. That is also where students will share responses to the assignments for feedback from their fellow students.
Is participation on the discussion board required?
We encourage all students to share work and to participate in discussions to get the most out of the experience.
Is there homework?
The class will include reading assignments, writing exercises, and discussion questions.
How much time will the class take?
Live lessons run for two hours. Plan to spend about 2 hours a week on reading and writing assignments, plus however long you decide to spend on the discussion boards.
How many students are in the class?
This class is capped at 25 students.
Can I take the class on my phone?
Yes, the class can be taken on a phone, but we recommend a computer or tablet to get the most out of the experience.
Do you offer financial aid or scholarships for this class?
We will be offering a limited number of scholarships for this class. Scholarships cover 50% of tuition. Recipients will be selected by lottery. The deadline to request a scholarship is Monday, April 6. Applicants will be notified by Monday, April 13. You can apply here.
Discounts & Policies
Our online classes are designed to be safe spaces for all who participate. One Story will not tolerate hate speech, bullying, or harassment directed toward instructors or fellow students, and reserves the right to remove participants who engage in such behavior from our classes.
Patron Discount: In order to qualify for our patron discount, you must be a member of our patron circle at the time of registration. Patrons commit to annual donations and receive benefits that allow them to participate in our non-profit organization in more meaningful ways. Not all One Story subscribers or supporters are patrons. If you’d like to find out more about becoming a patron, you can do so here.
Refund Policy: Full refunds are available through April 12. Partial refunds (50%) are granted if the class is dropped within one week of the class start date (April 13–19). Payment is non-refundable on or after the class’s start date. For questions about the refund policy, or to receive a refund, please contact maribeth@one-story.com.
If you have any questions, please contact edu.support@one-story.com.
