Marisa Silver – Rhythm and Prose  (January 2023)

Rhythm, so central to the discussion of poetry, is sometimes overlooked when we think about how to craft prose. But the way writers manipulate the rhythm of a sentence and a paragraph or the way they create rhythm within an overall structure can have enormous impact on both what is conveyed and how readers are affected on a subliminal and emotional level. Drawing upon examples from Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Jamaica Kincaid, and others, this lecture explores the choices we might make regarding pattern and variation to create tension, destabilize expectation, and to convey character and tone.