Writing Workshops

Curiosity Over Catharsis: An Introduction to Personal Essays with Matt Ortile

$175

2 sessions

Out of stock

Saturday & Sunday 2:00 pm EDT - 5:00 pm EDT July 26 to July 27, 2025

Online via Zoom

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In this weekend-long seminar and generative workshop, students will gain a foundational understanding of the personal essay form. Throughout, we will discuss two myths about the genre—that our story must have an obvious “ending,” and that we write essays to achieve “catharsis”—in order to develop a more sustainable writing practice, one built not solely on the story of our own lives.

The problems—or expectations—of “endings” and “catharsis” are obstacles to successful essay writing. We must dismantle these roadblocks by redefining a personal essay as an intellectual journey, rather than a chronological one, and following curiosity rather than seeking release from trauma. Why do this? It is unsustainable for personal essayists to use only themselves as their subjects—there is a bottom to that emotional barrel. Instead, rather than write solely about our experiences, we must write through them as lenses onto the world beyond our personal bubbles, thereby relieving us of being an essay’s sole subject. To that end, we will study formal elements like structure and style, and learn how to pitch essays to magazines for publication.

This class is for writers who are new to personal essays or looking to reinvigorate their essay practice. No prior writing experience is required. We will read excerpts from optional readings (PDFs will be provided), try generative writing exercises, and participate in group discussions. On both days of the weekend course, we will end with a short Q&A.

Course Outline:

Module 1—An introduction to personal essays: challenging ideas of endings and catharsis; readings from Nicole Chung, Tajja Isen, Phillip Lopate, and Jia Tolentino; writing exercises to generate essay ideas through curiosity and excitement.
Module 2—A seminar on structure and style: learning one of many ways to organize a personal essay; readings from Jane Hu, Aldous Huxley, Helen Rosner, and Jess Zimmerman; a generative exercise to practice narrative moves in essay writing.
Module 3—A crash-course on how to pitch essays to magazines for publication: understanding the power of a pitch over a “submission;” studying the structure of a pitch; discussing the best practices and successful habits of working writers through this experience.

Level: Introductory

This course is held online via Zoom.

Led by

Matt Ortile

Matt Ortile

Matt Ortile is an editor and writer who has taught creative writing seminars for the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, Poets & Writers, Kundiman, PEN America, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. He is the author of the essay collection The Groom Will Keep His Name, an editor for print and digital at Condé Nast Traveler, and was previously the executive editor of the literary magazine Catapult prior to its closure.

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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