Starts Monday, February 23rd, 2026 

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays from 7PM - 9PM EST

Note: If you can't attend live, class sessions will be recorded, which will be available for 30 days.

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Leah Redmond Chang is the author, most recently, of the critically lauded YOUNG QUEENS: THREE RENAISSANCE WOMEN AND THE PRICE OF POWER (Bloomsbury; Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023), which was a finalist for The Los Angeles Times Book Prize, longlisted for The Women's Prize in Non-Fiction and the American Library in Paris Book Award, and named a "Best Book of 2023" by The New Yorker. Trained as a literature scholar and cultural historian, Leah has spent much of her career working with rare books and documents. Before turning to writing full-time, Leah was a professor of literature at The George Washington University. In addition to writing, she lectures regularly on women, leadership, and power. She currently serves as a judge for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Tamara J. Walker is a historian and author of BEYOND THE SHORES: A HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICANS ABROAD (Crown), which received critical acclaim and was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice. Her writing has appeared in Afar, The Guardian, Lit Hub, Smithsonian Magazine, The Root, Slate, Time's Made by History, and other national publications. She has received numerous fellowships, including from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the Folger Shakespeare Library, Canada's Social Science and Humanities Research Council, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She was also awarded the 2018 Harriet Tubman Prize from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture for her first book, EXQUISITE SLAVES: RACE CLOTHING AND STATUS IN COLONIAL LIMA, PERU (Cambridge University Press).

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is for writers of historical fiction and creative non-fiction interested in treating history ethically and responsibly as they craft their narratives. While it is open to all levels, the course is particularly suited to writers with some experience of fiction or creative non-fiction.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Historical fiction and creative non-fiction hold increasing power to shape how readers understand the past. As writers, that puts us in a tricky position: how can we balance our creative artistry with responsible history? How do we build the worlds of our novels and non-fiction narratives out of serious engagement with historical sources and interpretations to provide a sense of accuracy and nuance?

Award-winning historians and narrative non-fiction authors Leah Redmond Chang and Tamara J. Walker will tackle these questions and more during a 3-week Zoom intensive on the art and ethics of historical storytelling. Discussion topics will include:

• What is our obligation to people of the past?
• What counts as a reliable source?
• How do we manage our story when sources give us too little information - or too much?
• How do we think about character when working with historical people?
• What are the limits of artistic license when writing about the past, even in fiction?
• How do we talk about method and approach when speaking to audiences about historical storytelling, whether fiction or non-fiction?

During our sessions, we will read, write, and discuss our way through these topics.

No matter the genre, writing historically entails great responsibility. But it is possible to treat the past respectfully without sacrificing art. In fact, approaching historical subjects ethically frees writers to make bolder artistic choices and to defend them with confidence.

WHAT ARE THE WRITING GOALS FOR THIS CLASS?

Students will produce and revise two pieces of writing geared at balancing creative artistry with responsible history: the first is a detailed profile of a historical character of their choosing (real or imagined); the second is a scene featuring their character that is rich in narrative dynamism and historical context.

Instructors will provide feedback in class as part of built-in share and critique segments, as well as written feedback for any students who request it.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

Students will:

1. Become versed in the ethical considerations that professional historians bring to their work and think about how to apply those considerations to historical fiction and narrative non-fiction

2. Develop a nuanced vocabulary that will enable thoughtful discussion, with readers and audiences, about the approaches and methodologies they used in historical writing

3. Practice weighing the merits of sources and using them to develop characters and scenes in writing

SELECTED COURSE TEXTS:

Meghan Marshall, "How Do You Like Your History? With Imaginative Leaps or Grounded in Fact?"; Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, The Personal Librarian (excerpts); Tiya Miles, All that She Carried (excerpts); Hallie Rubenhold, The Five (excerpts)

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1: Mapping out the Landscape: What Does it Mean to Write Historically?

Week 2: Crafting Historical Characters and Scenes

Week 3: The Ethics of Historical Storytelling

CAN'T MAKE IT LIVE?

If you can't attend live, class sessions will be recorded, which will be available for 30 days.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $375 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Starts Monday, February 23rd, 2026
  
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays from 7PM - 9PM EST
• Tuition is $375 USD
• Note: If you can't attend live, class sessions will be recorded, which will be available for 30 days.