What Birds Can Teach Us: A Seven-Part Online Master Class in Nature Writing

People have written about birds for as long as there’s been written language. And in this seven-part online writing course taught by the long-time editor of Orion, you will learn from those writers, as well as from the birds themselves.

Of course, there are many ways to look at birds. Konrad Lorenz found their biology and behavior fascinating. For poets Dickinson, Neruda, Whitman, and Oliver, birds were symbols of freedom, mystery, and strength. Terry Tempest Williams has used birds as a way to explore family and loss. Drew Lanham writes about them as a way of talking about social justice and equality.

In this craft workshop, you will learn to be a stronger, more confident writer, and you will learn about what makes a piece of writing enjoyable to read. You will get there by reflecting on what others have written, and by actually observing the birds in your neighborhood. Chip Blake and your classmates will give feedback and encouragement so that you may very well come away from the class with a finished piece of writing–and a new appreciation for our fine feathered friends.

As part of the class we will read examples of writing about birds, and Terry Tempest Williams, David James Duncan, and Drew Lanham will appear via Zoom to talk about their writing process.