Retelling the Classics ($99/$129)
Attempting to retell a classic story may be daunting but can be a tremendous amount of fun. Imagine re-telling a beloved story or play from another character's perspective or how certain characters and plots would fare in the present day. The classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, has been re-told and re-told again. Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin tells Pride and Prejudice in a present-day Muslim community. Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi is the story told from the point of view of a young woman in present day Bronx, NY. Those are just two examples. Jane Eyre, King Lear, and The Age of Innocence have all been re-told in imaginative ways. If you have an idea or would like to explore ideas, this seminar is for you.
Bring examples of your favorite re-tellings and we will warm-up by getting to know classics in new ways. We will engage in activities designed to generate ideas and leave with a solid concept for a re-telling.
Elizabeth Santiago, PhD, Liz, is the founder of The Untold Narratives – a free website dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. As a fiction writer and writing teacher living in Boston, she seeks to elevate underrepresented and under-heard voices. Her debut novel published by Lee and Low, The Moonlit Vine is available in English and Spanish (Claro de luna) and tells the little known narrative of the Taíno people, the native people of Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Jamaica who are still here and a huge part of Caribbean culture and history. She currently teaches creative writing and literature as an adjunct professor at both Boston College and Emerson College. She also teaches at Boston’s creative writing center, Grub Street, where she has taught workshops like Novel Generator, Retelling the Classics, Magical Realism and Writing Inclusive Young Adult and Middle Grade Novels. She formerly held the role Chief Development Officer at Youth Mentoring Action Network, a youth power-building organization in California. She was also the Chief Program Officer at MENTOR National. She obtained her PhD in Educational Studies from Lesley University, Master of Education from Harvard University, and Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Emerson College.
