Service Description

Fiction and CNF: Crafting the Compressed—Hermit Crabs OLLI @ UNC-Wilmington, NC Fall 2026 | Thursdays 1 - 2:30pm | September 3 - October 8 (6-weeks) A hermit crab is vulnerable writing—essay or story—that takes up residence in a familiar, protective shell: an essay masquerading as a food blog or warning label, a short story in Yelp reviews or an instruction manual. What is gained when our innermosts find safety in unusual containers? What meaning can be made in this compact form? In this class, we will read, analyze, and experiment with hermit crabs across genres. All experience levels welcome. Bring your curiosity, your openness, and a desire to play. About the Instructor: Brinson Leigh Kresge is a writer, mover, and interdisciplinary artist with work appearing or forthcoming in the New York Times, Assay, 805 Lit + Art, Passages North, and Grist. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and BFAs in English and Dance & Choreography, and has taught on the university level for fourteen years. She was the 2025 co-director of Sarus Festival: for Site-Specific and Experimental Art, and leads retreats exploring the power of movement and creative expression to unearth one's truer self. Registration through OLLI: https://uncw.edu/seahawk-life/get-involved/community/lifelong-learning/get-involved What students say: "Leigh is able to guide a community of writers to come together and support each other to grow their skills. She offers generous, specific, and helpful feedback." - Joane "I thoroughly enjoyed our compressed fiction class. By the end, I had. a much clearer sense of the possibilities of short fiction. We read great stories, discussed them together, and concluded by trying to write our own short pieces. I enjoyed the class very much." - Leigh S. "Leigh was very helpful to me as a writer in both encouraging free dialogue about what could be more interesting and offering specific insights into what might have more impact. The class was a really effective balance of reading great examples, writing our own, and giving/receiving feedback," - Tim Jones