Welcome to SPACE, our adult continuing education program which offers interactive monthly courses for personal enrichment! Learn more here.
March 2026 Modules
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Creative Writing: Discovering Novel Revision
(Year of the Novel)
Cluster
Spotlight
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
Has your draft reached the dreaded muddy middle? In this module, you will learn skills and strategies to examine a novel draft with fresh eyes. You will learn to do large-scale edits for topics such as plot, character arcs, and stakes to shape your story to your vision. We will also use collaborative feedback and discussion during class as you discover your own revision process.
Year of the Novel Note: Anyone is welcome to join our Year of the Novel modules at any time. Each module is designed to stand alone without prerequisites. However, for the richest experience, the carefully planned sequence of modules will carry you from blank page as far as you want toward completing your novel. In a writing journal, you will track your progress and moments of unexpected, joyful discovery as you continue your novel. Whether you are looking to publish commercially or simply writing for yourself, our program is designed to nurture your individual writing journey. Our workshops place kindness first, lifting up excellence and encouraging you to tell your story in your own voice. For more information about our Collaborative Feedback model, check out our video here.
Year of the Novel Note: Anyone is welcome to join our Year of the Novel modules at any time. Each module is designed to stand alone without prerequisites. However, for the richest experience, the carefully planned sequence of modules will carry you from blank page as far as you want toward completing your novel. In a writing journal, you will track your progress and moments of unexpected, joyful discovery as you continue your novel. Whether you are looking to publish commercially or simply writing for yourself, our program is designed to nurture your individual writing journey. Our workshops place kindness first, lifting up excellence and encouraging you to tell your story in your own voice. For more information about our Collaborative Feedback model, check out our video here.
Precepted by
Catherine Conners
Tolkien as Mythmaker:
The Architecture of Middle-earth
Candidate
As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group.
Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!
This course examines how J.R.R. Tolkien constructed his secondary world with the deliberate craft of a mythmaker and the precision of a master architect. Designed for participants already familiar with Tolkien's major works, the course delves into the rich philosophical, linguistic, and cultural foundations of Middle-earth.
Each discussion session analyses the building blocks of Tolkien's mythological framework: his theory of subcreation, cosmological blueprints, linguistic foundations, character archetypes, moral frameworks, environmental design, and how these elements combine to create an enduring fictional universe.
Participants will engage with primary texts alongside Tolkien's essays, letters, and posthumously published materials to gain deeper appreciation of how his scholarly background in philology and medieval literature informed his creative vision—illuminating how Tolkien constructed one of literature's most enduring secondary worlds.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Each discussion session analyses the building blocks of Tolkien's mythological framework: his theory of subcreation, cosmological blueprints, linguistic foundations, character archetypes, moral frameworks, environmental design, and how these elements combine to create an enduring fictional universe.
Participants will engage with primary texts alongside Tolkien's essays, letters, and posthumously published materials to gain deeper appreciation of how his scholarly background in philology and medieval literature informed his creative vision—illuminating how Tolkien constructed one of literature's most enduring secondary worlds.
The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:
Outline | 8-Session Structure and Reading List by Session | Readings List |
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Week 1 | Session 1: The Mythmaker’s Vision | Session 1 Reading list:
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Session 2: Creation Myths and Cosmology | Session 2 Reading List:
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Week 2 | Session 3: Languages as Cultural Foundation | Session 3 Reading List:
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Session 4: The Hero’s Journey Through Ages | Session 4 Reading List:
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Week 3 | Session 5: Power and Corruption | Session 5 Reading List:
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Session 6: Death, Immortality and Time | Session 6 Reading List:
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Week 4 | Session 7: Nature, Technology and Modernity | Session 7 Reading List:
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Session 8: Legacy and Influence | Session 8 Reading List:
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Precepted by
Dr.
Sara Brown