It has been a minute. Hi. Outside my window is a tree with cherry-red leaves, reminding me of the passage of time.
I’m excited that I recently joined the faculty at Fine Arts Work Center, based in Provincetown, (where legends Eileen Myles, Nick Flynn, and Ann Hood teach!) and am teaching an online course on novella-writing. Even though I’ve written a novella, I’ve never taught a class on them so this should be pretty fun. You can sign up or learn more here.
What’s so great about novellas? Here’s a take I love, from “The Comeback of The Novella” in The Atlantic.
“Let's define the novella, this way, then: a narrative of middle length with nothing wrong with it, an ideal iteration of its own terms, that can devoured within a single day of reading. I think I'm not alone when I say this is the kind of reading I like best. On a summer Sunday, sometime. We fall under the book's spell in the morning. A friend knocks, the phone rings, the mail clunks through the mail slot. There won't be any stopping until there's nothing left to read. The tempo builds until the pages turn with feverish speed, the sun burns hot and starts to dim. Finally, we're released sometime before dinner. The spell lingers on all through the evening until, at night, we dream.”
Structuring The Novella With Precision is 4 weeks long, beginning November 15th until December 10th.
If you want to know more about expectations for the class, read my interview for the faculty spotlight here. I’d love to see you in class and am here for any questions you have about it!
While making the syllabus, I created this list of novellas I had on my shelf, so here is a reading list for you if you feel like joining Novella-Ember.
Novellas I Recommend
Loverboy by Victoria Redel (hypnotizing, srsly)
McGlue by Ottessa Moshfegh (Otessa’s first book I think?)
Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval (One of my favorite musicians wrote a novella!)
Mickey by Chelsea Martin (As usual, deadpan and brilliant)
A Woman's Story by Annie Erneaux (Very French feeling)
A Man's Place by Annie Erneaux (this and the above book go side by side)
Simple Passion by Annie Erneaux (Obsessive love, also very french feeling)
Shoplifting From American Apparel by Tao Lin (Iconique!)
Rape: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates (A Classic)
August by Romina Paula (The best novella you’ve probably never heard of)
The Dream Sequence by Kate Hunter (I can’t find this for purchase online anymore)
Whimsy by Shannon Macleod (I wrote about this one in my last substack post)
The Lover by Marguerite Duras (The ultimate)
Walks With Men by Annie Beattie (Best title award?)
The Mystery Guest by Grégoire Bouillier (Gorgeous and also very french)
Other books I’ve read recently that I recommend:
Happy Hour by Marlowe Granados
One Last Stop by Casey McQuinston
and currently: Tacky by Rax King
xoxo
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P.S. My new book (not a novella) The Red Zone: A Love Story can be pre-ordered here. <3