All upcoming Authors, Books, & Writing programs

Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by The Mother and Sister of the Artist by Berthe Morisot.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is considered one of the greatest works in English literature. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi explores this play about murder, revenge, and madness that resonates with generations of readers and viewers. He also highlights Shakespeare’s philosophical brilliance, linguistic inventiveness, and ability to capture the most complex—and often unsettling—human emotions.

The Declaration of Independence is a peculiar document: a literary masterpiece that was written jointly by a committee of five people. In a full-day seminar, historian Richard Bell, a specialist in the American Revolutionary era, explores its origins, creators, purpose, and global influence. He examines how contemporaries perceived it, what transformations it triggered, and why it continues to hold significance.

Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by A Sunburst Restrained by María Berrío.

For more than 70 years, the adventures of James Bond have thrilled readers and left them wondering if any of his escapades are actually possible. Kathryn Harkup, a former chemist, investigates 007’s exploits and the weapons, technologies, and tactics of his foes. During the process, she assesses the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair and whether being covered in gold paint really would kill you.

Discover how visual art can inspire creative writing and how writing can offer a powerful way to experience art. Join Mary Hall Surface, the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, for a course of three online workshops that explore essential elements of writing and styles through close looking, word-sketching, and imaginative response to prompts. The sessions spotlight a diverse range of visual art chosen to inspire writers of all experience levels to deepen their process and practice. This writing session is inspired by The Green Door by Lois Mailou Jones.

This is a landmark year for the Queen of Crime. It marks the 100th anniversary of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd—one of the world’s most famous mystery novels—the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death, and the centennial of her sensational disappearance, a wild and headline-making chapter in her life. Author Daniel Stashower investigates Agatha Christie’s life and career and actors Scott Sedar and Bari Biern give voice to her most beloved characters. It would be a crime to miss them.

Discover the power of reflective writing guided by the founding instructor of the National Gallery of Art’s popular Writing Salon, Mary Hall Surface. In this workshop, participants explore the innovative compositions of the 20th-century Dutch printmaker M.C. Escher, to discover how his interlocking forms and shifting patterns inspire creative reflection about the connections and transformations in our lives.

Willa Cather’s visits to Santa Fe in the 1920s with her partner, book editor Edith Lewis, inspired her to research and write the enduring novel she referred to as her best book. Author Garrett Peck examines how the Southwestern setting and spirit of Death Comes for the Archbishop is rooted in those travels.

From ancient gods and goddesses to timeless heroic narratives, classical myths have long shaped artistic expression—but how do these age-old stories resonate in modern and postmodern art? Art historian Jennie Hirsh explores the surprisingly vital and often overlooked role of classical mythology in contemporary art, showing how artists use these stories not just to illustrate, but to engage with questions of identity, power, gender, and society. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)