With a nod to Margaret Mead, you are unique, just like everyone else. The personal essay provides a means of recognizing, exploring, and sharing tiny but mighty moments or big happenings unique to us, but part of the human experience we all share, too. A long-forgotten artifact uncovered in your last move, a kiss grown cold, a remarkable act of kindness. Our lives are full of moments that built our past while also helping us make sense of the present and imagine the future. Our four weeks will include craft discussions incorporated with reading and analysis of essays from diverse authors like Dorothy Allison, James Baldwin, and David Foster Wallace. We’ll also peer review your well-developed draft or polished essay in an intimate group setting with the intention to prepare your work for publication submittals.
Ernie Reynolds holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Florida State University, an MFA from the University of Tampa and MAT from Belmont University. He currently serves on faculty in Middle Tennessee State University's English Department. His short fiction has been read on NPR and published in Vanderbilt’s Nashville Review, Hamline University's Waterstone Review, UNC's Smoky Blue Literary Arts Magazine, and elsewhere. Dr. Reynolds is a certified arborist, horticulturalist and former NCAA coach, as well. He splits time between Franklin and Monteagle, Tennessee.
"Dr. Reynolds is extremely passionate about fiction writing and it felt contagious in the classroom. He encouraged questions that would turn into conversations in the class about a specific aspect of writing."
"Dr. Reynolds provided an excellent class that helped me to draw out the knowledge I already had while challenging me to grow as a writer thinking about nature. Through creative prompts, he gave us lots of opportunities to practice our writing skills and work on describing scenes in nature that focus on the senses. I thoroughly enjoyed the class and will certainly look out for any that he teaches in the future!"
"Dr. Reynolds cares about his students and their work in a way that focuses on their development as readers and writers."
