Weird Methods: Brian Evenson's Ontological Horror

Brian Evenson's approach to horror is singular. Eschewing predominant models of the mind -- because "consciousness is thinner than we like to believe" -- and rejecting realism altogether as a useful literary mode -- because "reality exists but...we perceive it so incompletely as to have only a partial relationship with it" -- Evenson's stories revel in a sensation of wrongness, a compounding dread that he refused to release. How, then, does the man who George Saunders calls the "most intense, prolific, and apocalyptic writer of fiction in America" generate this feeling and leave his devoted readers reeling from these bad bad dreams?

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In this class, we'll explore the philosophy that shapes Evenson's horror, as well as Mark Fisher's illuminating conception of the Weird, and excavate Evenson's techniques for producing dread through a close reading of several of his stories. We'll focus on the affective qualities of his work through group discussions and writing experiments that will get you writing in the right mood.   

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Classes are scheduled on-demand with private classes available for groups of 3 or more. Each class is available as:

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• 1 3-hr session - $150 per student

• 2 3-hr sessions - $300 per student

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Email ahsan.butt@gmail.com with subject line: "Classes Inquiry - Evenson"