Just in time for Halloween, The Reader’s resident maestro of the macabre and absurd, Michael Jeffrey Lee, brings his subversive spirit to this one day workshop dedicated to stories that unnerve, disturb, and/or “make you feel like you’re going insane.” Expect lively discussions of literary-craft mainstays like mood, style, voice, plus others more suited to the occasion: fear-and-terror management, on and off-stage violence, ambiguity and understatement. And come prepared to write, as your tutor will provide plenty of prompts designed to unleash your own inner prose goblin! The themes may be grim, the texts somewhat edgy, but expect an inclusive, fun, and even playful environment designed to inspire new work.

Michael Jeffrey Lee’s first collection, Something in My Eye, received the Mary McCarthy Prize and was published by Sarabande. His second collection, The Burned-out House, is forthcoming in 2023 from Spurl Editions. His stories have appeared in N+1, BOMB, The Rupture, and The Southern Review, among others. He has taught fiction at Tulane University, the University of Louisiana, and New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA). He was the recipient of the Yale Educator Award for his work at NOCCA, and a research fellowship from the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa, Berlin. He is also the vocalist for Budokan Boys.