4-Week: Craft Lessons from Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass

Dust, Daemons, and Armored Polar Bears, oh my! These are but a few of the well-known elements in Philip Pullman’s legendary novel, The Golden Compass (Book I of His Dark Materials). Since its release in 2001, The Golden Compass has transcended its designation as a YA novel and instead become a book that adult readers and writers around the world have both lauded and learned from. As a NYT Bestseller, Compass has been listed by both Newsweek and Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 100 books of all time. So what’s all the dust-up about? In this class, we’ll read Pullman’s novel and learn from his powerful ability to inhabit the fantastical without losing the humanity at its core. Through discussions of craftsmanship, use of the uncanny, sublime imagery, and daring formal execution, we’ll dig deep into Pullman’s choices as both storyteller and author. We’ll also play around with some light writing prompts inspired by the novel. This class is for both long-time Pullman fans as well as newcomers to his fiction. Come join a life-altering adventure as we journey into new magical unknowns!