Losing Record

These past few years have forced us all to confront some harsh truths about our place on this planet. In this creative non-fiction course we will grapple with what it means to lose. More than just the agony of defeat, loss is a universal condition of entropic grief or enlightening relief, often as a result of forces beyond our control. We will examine first what it means to lose things, then people, and finally our place(s). We'll also explore the ways melancholy, grief, and non-attachment have been variously treated—all in effort to archive our own losing records. What can we do to keep from forgetting? And is it possible to forgive without forgetting (injury, trauma, theft)? When is it appropriate, or even desirable, to forget? In-class prompts will include transcendental meditations, journaling, and object histories.