Stein Visiting Writers

Each year, the Creative Writing Program welcomes a distinguished writer to teach a Stanford writing seminar to undergraduates. These unique classes are kept small--limited to no more than 15 students--and they focus on a subject of the writer’s expertise and choosing. The writer also holds a public reading and colloquium. These seminars and events are made possible with the generous support of Isaac and Madeline Stein.

English 190V Reading for Writers: Obsession as Muse

• Offered: Spring 2027

• Instructor: Prof. Zhang

• Satisfies the intermediate/advanced prose requirement

• Enrollment granted on priority basis. To be considered for enrollment, please submit the Course Preference Form

Being a writer means being in a constant state of obsession-what else could incite the passion and inquiry that makes a person want to create art? This class is interested in two things: one, how we, as writers, can identify and nurture our obsessions in order to deepen our creative practice and two, how we can mine our obsessions for our own writing and storytelling. For this class, I ask that you allow yourself to be obsessed, whether it be with a person, an animal, a concept, a pattern, or a corner of the world so niche that no one but you can call it home. Be prepared to go down rabbit holes, research in the field, and interact with your obsessions. Most of all, be prepared to write into your obsessions, letting them lead you out of narrative dead-ends and toward something greater, more divine. We will read across genres, including but not limited to novels, essays, short stories, plays, poetry, visual media, and more. Class will include take-home writing assignments and in-class writing exercises, as well as reading and workshopping each other's work with an eye toward constructive feedback, compassion, and collaboration.