The Jaws of Hell: Writing the Afterlife
Tuesday evenings at 7:30pm, June 2nd, 9th, 16th, & 23rd at the Olio Lighthouse

Hell isn’t always depicted as fire and brimstone; sometimes it's an infinite library, an AI generated wasteland, or a hotel room with passive aggressive strangers. In this hybrid class we'll first critically examine hellish fiction, analyzing what makes these strange afterlifes so gruesome—and alluring. Genres will range: poetry, novella, short story, stage play, and visual art.

Join writer and professor Alexandra Dos Santos in this 4-week Olio workshop where you'll take inspiration from class readings to create your own underworlds. Each session will include writing prompts and exercises based on the week's story. Through mini group workshops and partner critiques, you’ll get instant feedback on your fresh ideas, helping your story take shape early on.

By the second class, please read the novella A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck (108 pages). This is the only text you will have to get on your own. It's widely available in libraries or online bookstores. You can also buy the E-book in a pinch!

Class One:
Introduction: personal interpretations of hell and demons: tropes, stereotypes. Dig into what molds preconceptions, and briefly examine historical and artistic context. Appetizer of hellish excerpts for a general foundation on hell in literature.
In class writing: exercises based on visual depictions of hell.

For next class: continue or finish reading A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck

Class Two:
Discuss: A Short Stay in Hell. Thematic analysis: cosmic horror, identity, existential dread. Craft analysis: SETTING
In class writing exercise: devise your own unlikely setting for hell.

For next class, read short story: “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison

Class Three:
Discuss: “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.” Thematic analysis: what's a secular hell? Modernity, AI, individualism. Craft analysis: SYMBOL
In class writing exercise: create your own devil, demons or underworld spirits.

For next class, read or watch the play No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre

Class Four:
Discuss: No Exit. Thematic analysis: the hell of the mind, relationships, and the "hungry ghost". Craft analysis: DIALOGUE AND CHARACTER.
In class writing exercise: dialogue to generate conflict

What to expect:

Genre exploration through curated readings and art about hell, demons, and the soul
Special focus on different craft elements each week based on the reading: symbolism, setting, dialogue and character
Group discussions on what hell means to us based on our unique experiences, and how to alchemize it into art
Generative exercises to help mold fear, shame, suffering, desire, and even curiosity into hellish concepts and stories
Peer feedback on fresh work created in class through small groups and pairs

About Your Instructor:

Alexandra Dos Santos is a writer and College Writing instructor based in Astoria, New York, with an MFA from The Writers Foundry at St. Joseph's University. Her work spans horror, the esoteric, and the speculative, appearing in Electric Literature, Lithub, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Vol. 1 Brooklyn, among others. She's led creative writing workshops throughout Brooklyn and received fellowships from Wildacres Writers Retreat and the Disquiet International Literary Program.

*Writers of all levels are welcome here!