The sentence is an infinitely elastic instrument containing thousands of microdecisions. So which decisions make your sentences become your sentences? This session will examine virtuosic sentences—from Herman Melville to Toni Morrison—exploring what these sentences might have been in the hands of another writer, exposing what makes them unique. We will look at syntax, diction, and sonic elements, as well as attitude and subtext. Lecture and exercises, with sharing, feedback, and Q&A.

Anne Elliott is the author of The Artstars: Stories (Indiana University Press) and The Beginning of the End of the Beginning (Ploughshares Solos). Her short fiction can be found in Story, A Public Space, Crab Orchard Review, Witness, Hobart, Bellevue Literary Review, Fifth Wednesday Journal, and elsewhere.  Elliott is a veteran of the New York spoken word circuit, with stage credits including The Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, PS122, and Woodstock '94. Her fiction has been awarded support from The Story Foundation, Vermont Studio Center, The Normal School, Table 4 Writer's Foundation, and The Bridport Prize. She holds an MFA in fiction writing from Warren Wilson College, and lives in Portland, Maine. Learn more at http://www.anneelliottstories.com.

Live Workshop: The Magic of the Sentence with Author Anne Elliott