The Interior Gaze: Examining the Personal Essay

The Personal Essay as Political, Social, and Psychological Excavator

The Interior Gaze is back and revamped! Spend eight weeks delving into the power of the personal essay. By the end of this course you’ll understand the form’s historical significance and how personal essays can transform their readers, writers, and the world. This course is generative, meaning you will produce your own writing, as well as educational.

Yearly Memberships are currently 30% off!

This course runs from Tuesday, January 7th to Tuesday, March 4th.

The Interior Gaze is a community learning environment aimed at cultivating a grounded sense of self-understanding and determination as writers— whether you are a published writer or you scribble in secret, all levels are welcome.

As writers it's easy to feel as if we're being pulled in many conflicting directions. One moment we're told to follow our creative instincts; the next we're asked how many followers we have on social media. The whims of the public, the publishing industry, and the algorithm are fickle as the weather. Writers must be resilient— THE INTERIOR GAZE is designed to build confidence and resilience as well as an integral understanding of the personal essay.

I have over a decade of experience teaching creative writing and embodied learning in high-school, college, and in alternative learning environments. In 2018 I received my MFA in fiction from Syracuse University. I am currently studying creative nonfiction at the doctoral level and teach creative writing to college students.

My nonfiction book, HOTSHOT, is forthcoming in August 2025.

All paid subscribers have access to the course. There are additional engagement opportunities for founding subscribers.

George Orwell once said,

"I find that by the time you have perfected any style of writing, you have already outgrown it."

Girl Fishing // John Singer Sargent

Here, we do not seek perfection.

Instead, the Interior Gaze fosters a sense of identity and purpose as writers, outside of the act of consumption.

Through reading, writing, and community dialogue, you will learn to orient your gaze towards why you write; what you long to express; and how your life experiences and unique perspectives inform your writing.

We will embrace failure, because it's essential to the practice of writing. We will also examine our conceptions of success: where they come from, and what we really believe.

Participation is up to you: Subscribers can participate as much or as little as they would like. It’s okay if you’re only able to engage half the time (or less)! It’s also great if you want to immerse yourself in the experience and engage fully.

My recommendation is that you make a commitment to engage fully. Participants will have the opportunity to participate in my intensive workshop course: Meaning Making and the Personal Essay.

THE INTERIOR GAZE begins (again) on Tuesday, January 7th and lasts until Tuesday, March 4th.

• Every other Tuesday I will post several PDFs— craft lessons and two personal essays by other writers. I will also post several self-designed (and tested!) prompts and exercises.

• Group discussions every week, via online posts, group chat, and possibly a discussion thread.

• Bimonthly (Fridays at noon) group craft and writing discussion/generative writing sessions. These meetings will be recorded and distributed to all paying members. Dates: Jan. 17th & 31st. Feb. 14th & 28th.

• Live (!) silent writing groups each Tuesday morning from 1030am-11:30am EST.

• I will also post three videos discussing the personal essay genre and my own writing practices, which you can view on your own timeline.

All paid subscribers of NAVEL GAZING have automatic access to THE INTERIOR GAZE for the duration of their paid subscription.

You can check out past INTERIOR GAZE POSTS in the archives, to get a taste of what some of the posts may be like (although this round will be a bit different).

Membership pricing will change on Monday Sept. 30th— see below:

• Monthly subscriptions are currently $5.95 per month. If this prices you out, let me know, and we can work something out.

• Yearly subscriptions are set at $58 a year. Yearly subscriptions are still more economical than monthly subscriptions, averaging out to $4.83 a month. Scholarships are available— contact me if needed.

• Founding Subscribers currently pay $98 a year. This yearly cost averages out to $8.15 a month. Founding subscribers will have an opportunity to submit their own essays into a raffle. I will give editorial feedback on the (randomly) chosen essay

If you would like to take this course but do not want to become a paying subscriber, please contact me and we can work out another form of payment.

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