Eula Biss

Nonfiction

Eula Biss is the author of four books, most recently Having and Being Had. Her book On Immunity was named one of the Ten Best Books of 2014 by the New York Times Book Review, and Notes from No Man’s Land won the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism in 2009. Her work has recently appeared in the Guardian, the Paris Review, Freeman’sThe Believer, and The New Yorker.

Note

I will be accepting a very small number of writers for individual four-month courses of study in nonfiction writing and the art of the essay. My intent is to work closely with emerging writers to hone their technical skills, address their particular challenges, and deepen their understanding of their own work. Each course of study will be designed around the individual writer’s interests and current projects. I will provide guidance, reading suggestions, editorial advice, and strategies for revision and expansion. I am not currently reading complete book-length works, but my courses of study can accommodate a longer work submitted in installments or a series of shorter essays. Writers looking for support on book-length works may also benefit from my book sessions. In all cases, the work the writer submits does not have to be finished — it can be rough, incomplete, and in-process.  

Course of Study 

The course of study will begin with an introductory meeting in which the writer will propose a specific goal, subject of study, or craft question to pursue over four months. I will advise the writer on a reading list to support the study and we will agree to a series of deadlines for four submissions of work, which may include revisions or installments of a longer work. Each submission will receive written margin notes and in-depth feedback during a one-hour meeting in which we also discuss the subject of study. 

Fee for the full course of study, including four submissions of up to 6,000 words each and five meetings: $5,000

Book Sessions 

These hour-long sessions are intended to provide support and guidance for book-length works. We will discuss your work in detail and devise strategies for moving forward. Writers at any stage in the process may schedule one or more sessions as needed.

Fee per session: $200