Writing Workshops

The Art of the Review with Alissa Wilkinson

$175

2 Sessions

In stock

Saturday & Sunday 11:00 am EDT - 2:00 pm EDT August 8 to August 9, 2026

Online via Zoom

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The review is a familiar genre, yet it’s one of the most misunderstood. Reviews frequently resemble summaries, book reports, or rants, losing their true value and becoming disposable in the process. Learning to write a good review can open doors for any writer, and a great review can extend the cultural life of the artwork under discussion, even if it’s not a rave.

In this two-day workshop, we’ll treat the review as a genre of creative writing with specific characteristics, tasks, and opportunities for the writer. What is and isn’t a review, and how have they evolved? How do we craft a narrator, and how can description, character, opinion, and rhythm inform the review? What are great choices we can make when writing reviews?

Prior to the workshop, participants will read several reviews as models. In our time together, we will discuss how they work and learn how to harness our voices to write great reviews. We’ll also talk about craft considerations when reviewing art and pop culture in different media, focusing on reviews of films, books, visual art, and performances intended for the general interest reader. Our meetings will involve lectures, discussion of readings, generative writing exercises, and practical tips. Participants will leave with tools to fuel their own creative pursuits of reviewing in the future.

Course Outline:

Saturday:

Part 1 – Lecture: What is a review, and a discussion about pre-assigned readings
Part 2: In-class generative review-crafting exercises focusing on narrators and angles, conversation about craft exercises, and discussion about take-home generative exercise

Sunday:

Part 1: Discuss generative exercise, and lecture about writing reviews for different formats
Part 2: Practical tips and tricks for pitching and publishing reviews

Teaching Style: This course will combine lecturing from Alissa (driven by 20 years of experience writing, publishing, and teaching criticism) with discussion and conversation among participants and generative exercises focused on the major issues that reviewers face in today’s media landscape.

This course is held online via Zoom.

We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships for our Reading Groups and Writing Workshops, covering 50% of tuition. Applicants selected for scholarships will be notified one week prior to the first meeting. To apply for a scholarship, please fill out this form.

Led by

Alissa Wilkinson

Alissa Wilkinson

Alissa Wilkinson is a movie critic at the New York Times. Prior to joining the Times, she was a senior correspondent at Vox. Her criticism has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vulture, RogerEbert.com, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and others. She is a frequent commentator on radio, TV and podcasts, including KCRW’s Press Play, Morning Joe, the Daily, and many others. Alissa teaches creative nonfiction writing in NYU’s XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement program. She is the author of We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine (2025) and Salty: Lessons on Eating, Drinking and Living from Revolutionary Women (2022).

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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