The Writer’s Edge Literary Workshops

Summer is indeed the time for writing workshops—at least in this
city. And while most are populated with published writers admonishing
your overuse of adverbs and the word “indeed,” the Writer’s Edge
Literary Workshops strive to provide something different. Perhaps a
piece comprised solely of adverbs? Maybe not, but it’s at least the
only workshop of its kind devoted exclusively to experimental
fiction.

So, what exactly is experimental fiction? Workshop organizer and
faculty member Lidia Yuknavitch explains that the simplest definition
of experimental fiction is that in which the author is “willing to take
serious risks” with his/her writing. This can include narrative
innovation or unconventional form—anything that defies the set rules of
“proper literature” or “interrupts the mainstream.” Kathy Acker and Ben
Marcus are among the more well-known (or notorious?) experimental
writers working today. The workshop’s five faculty members—Trevor Dodge
(Everyone I Know Lives on Roads), Brian Evenson (The Wavering
Knife), Lucy Corin (Everyday Psychokillers), Yuknavitch
(Real to Reel), and Lance Olsen (Nietzsche’s Kisses and
my favorite book from 1994, Tonguing the Zeitgeist)—are
prominent in the genre.

In addition to workshops provided by each faculty member, two panel
discussions are offered this weekend—one involving trends in
experimental fiction and one discussing experimental film. The film
panel—featuring filmmakers Holly Andres, Grace Carter, Karl Lind, Andy
Blubaugh, and Andi Olsen—convenes on Sunday, July 29, at 3:30 pm in
PSU’s Smith Memorial Union, Room 238. This event is free and open to
the public. Also free and open to the public is a faculty reading on
Friday evening at 7 pm. Corin, Dodge, Evenson, Olsen, and Yuknavitch
will read from their works in Smith Union, Room 333. On Friday and
Saturday nights, an open mic session (a forum for experimental music
and an opportunity for workshop students to read their own work) will
follow the day’s activities at Someday Lounge.

Registration for the entire slate of activities over the weekend
costs $300. Space is limited, though. Contact Lidia Yuknavitch at
lidiamiles@yahoo.com for
further information.