UCLA Extension winter holiday closure: December 21 through January 1. Learn More

Queer Experiments in Memoir

WRITING 764.4E

Explore alternatives to traditional literary forms to locate new entry points for capturing queer life in queer ways.

What you can learn.

Discover how queerness in storytelling can go beyond queer characters into considerations of form and content
Learn to shape stories to speak truthfully about queer experiences
Identify how different approaches to timelines and narrative arcs can elevate your writing
Engage in short lecture, analysis of published works, and in-class writing prompts

About this course:

Queer stories not only offer readers the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, they also give queer people the chance to see themselves in ways they never have before. In this course we will look beyond simply having queer characters or representation in our memoirs, and explore alternatives to traditional literary forms and story shapes that speak more truthfully to our experiences with the ultimate goal of arriving at something intrinsically queer. We’ll look at archives as a first step in making new connections and ultimately a new kind of order. We’ll explore timelines that turn away from the narrative coherence of the traditional life arcs of adulthood, marriage, reproduction and childrearing. We will examine narrative forms that reject conflict as essential. Through a short lecture, analysis of memoir excerpts, and in-class prompts you will get a whirlwind tour of possible entry points to a different approach to capturing a life queerly.