The Lab—Turning Obsession into Art with Aesthetic Force
A Generative Writing Session with Matthew Clark Davison & Alice LaPlante based on The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre (Norton)
Description
Great writing doesn’t start with form—it starts with obsession. But how do we transform raw obsession into something that stuns, unsettles, and compels? How do we move beyond reason to aesthetic force—the power that makes art unforgettable?
Join Alice LaPlante & Matthew Clark Davison, co-authors of The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre (W.W. Norton), for a generative session exploring how writers can balance beauty and darkness, disrupt reader expectations, and render images that bypass logic and strike at the level of feeling.
Drawing from chapter 3 of The Lab: Experiments in Writing Across Genre (W.W. Norton 2025) https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393866681 the insights of Sarah Lewis—professor, cultural critic, and author—on “aesthetic force,” as well as generative exercises from The Lab , we’ll investigate how great writing—whether fiction, memoir, or hybrid—thrives on contrast, specificity, and the interplay between what some think is beautiful and what truly is. Through interactive prompts, you’ll experiment with techniques that push your work.
No preparation required. Writers of all backgrounds are welcome. Bring a notebook, laptop, or whatever you use to write.
Expect:
- Guided prompts and provocations to spark fresh work
- Short bursts of writing across any genre
- Space to explore the themes and contradictions that keep calling you back to the page
