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THE STUDY COVEN

The Study Coven started out as a one-off class in February 2022, hosted online under the auspices of a bookstore. We read The Handmaid’s Tale and Beloved as works of feminist horror, then wrote in-class from prompts derived from the reading.

There was a spark of magic in that class.

When it ended, horror author Rebecca Cuthbert suggested we keep working together, with new syllabi on related topics, and curated creative writing prompts to accompany the readings. 


Through Zoom, I hosted our next class, Queer Magical Realism. Both of the authors we studied paid us a visit. That class was followed by Monsters, Ghosts, and more Witches. We’ve also covered Crones in Space: Non-Horror Writings about the Body from a Feminist Horror POV, Vampires + Cannibals — and who could forget Smutty Study?  

Meanwhile, the witches keep coming, usually referred by a friend or through Facebook groups. They’ve popped up all over the country, and even a few in Canada. Some stay for a while, others have taken every class since 2022. 

The principles of the Study Coven are exploration, flexibility, and accessibility. Instead of repeated meetings, each study witch works their way through a four-week syllabus at their own pace. You can do every exercise, read all the supplementals, or not. And you can always return to the syllabus at a later date — it’s yours to keep. 

Our reading and writing lead to two virtual sessions: a guided discussion — with frequent visits from authors like Ariel Gore, Sara Gran, Andrea Lawlor, Pam Grossman, and others — and a writing workshop. Our workshops are curiosity-based; we focus on exploring the author’s vision and intentions. No idea is too weird, no form is off limits. 

Through a cabal of badasses working independently, the Study Coven somehow formed a community of like-minded writers, who celebrate and encourage each other. After all, what is a coven if not a circle of knowledge-seekers, grounded in their own strength, and made more powerful by their bond? 

Themed classes are offered seasonally in January, May, July, and October. We meet on Thursdays. For enrolled study witches, writing-only workshops and no-homework Witch CRAFT sessions are also on offer.
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UPCOMING CLASS

July 2025 – Odysseys
​
Enrollment is now open for the Study Coven's July 2025 online class, Odysseys, the third in a year-long mythology series. ​

class dates

  • Discussion:  July 10, 2025 
    ​​6:30-9:00 pm EST (online)
  • Workshops:  July 17, 2025 
    ​-or- July 24, 2023
    6:30-9:00pm EST (online)
  • Workshops are limited to five witches at a time.
To inquire about a class or joining the coven, contact ​the High Priestess:
SIGN UP!
COST PER CLASS:
$50-100 sliding scale

READING LIST: BOOKS THE COVEN HAS STUDIED

  • Bunny  by Mona Awad
  • Rouge  by Mona Awad
  • The Handmaid’s Tale  by Margaret Atwood
  • The Manningtree Witches  by A.K. Blakemore
  • The Book of Eve by Carmen Boullosa 
  • The Book of the Most Precious Substance  by Sara Gran
  • Waking the Witch  by Pam Grossman
  • The Sentence  by Louise Erdrich
  • Woman, Eating  by Claire Kohda
  • Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl  by Andrea Lawlor
  • The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin 
  • Selected stories from Wake, Siren by Nina MacLaughlin
  • Witches of America  by Alex Mar
  • Circe  by Madeline Miller
  • People Collide by Isle McElroy
  • Beloved  by Toni Morrison
  • Excerpt from Flesh & Blood: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life: A Memoir  by N. West Moss
  • Selected stories from Moonflower, Nightshade, All the Hours of the Day  by JD Scott
  • Frankenstein  by Mary Shelley
  • Little Rabbit  by Alyssa Sonsiridej
  • Initiated  by Amanda Yates Garcia
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rEAD THE PAST & PRESENT STUDY WITCHES' WORK

Many of the stories, essays, and poems featured below began in our workshops!
BOOKS
MARY CAMARILLO
  • The Lockheart Women  (American Fiction Awards Finalist, Indie Book Awards Winner)
  • Those People Behind Us  (Independent Booksellers Association Benjamin Franklin Award Silver Winner)

REBECCA CUTHBERT
  • Creep This Way: How to Become a Horror Writer with 24 Tips to Get You Ghouling 
  • In Memory of Exoskeletons  (Nominated for a 2024 Imadjinn Award, Best Poetry Collection)
  • Self-Made Monsters coming soon! Read Lindsay's Goodreads review on this new hybrid collection.
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SARAH GERKENSMEYER
  • What You Are Now Enjoying  (Autumn House Fiction Prize Winner; longlisted for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, Late Night Library's Debut-litzer, and Indiana Authors Award)

AJ SUPER
  • Seven Stars Saga series: Erebus Dawning; A Star Reborn; Queen of the Black
ANTHOLOGIES & COLLECTIONS
BRIDGET D. BRAVE
  • "The Harvest Queen," Ahh! That's What I Call Horror
  • "Burlesque!,"  Shadows in the Stacks: A Spirited Giving Charity Anthology

REBECCA CUTHBERT
  • "No Rest Nor Relief for You With Me Dead," Shakespeare Unleashed

JENNIFER FISCHER
  • "Yellow Towels and White Tubs," Awakenings: Stories of the Body and Consciousness, edited by Diane Gottlieb

STORIES & ESSAYS
SYDNEY BOLLINGER
  • “Blue Hour,” Northwest Review
  • “The Soft Glow of Humanity,” Roi Fainéant Press
  • “The Mountain Women,” Grimsy Literary Magazine

AMY BOWERS
  • “Divorce-o-rama: Divorce as a Dark Ride,” JAKE
  • “Domestic Garden Eels,” Barzakh Magazine
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AMIENA MAHSOOB
  • "Kin," Alice Says Go Fuck Yourself

POEMS
MARY CAMARILLO
  • “King of California at Sweetwater Community Church,” The Ear

MARY ANNE PEREZ
  • “Meditation on My Name,” Silver Birch Press

WHAT THE WITCHES HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE COVEN

For every class I've taken with Lindsay, I've written a new story—two of three have been published, and the third is part of a collection I'm currently shopping around. Even better than that, I've gotten to know a wonderful group of supportive women. Signing up for that first class--Feminist Horror in 2021--was one of the best things I've done for myself as a writer. And I can't wait for this year's topics!" — Rebecca Cuthbert, author of the poetry collection In Memory of Exoskeleton
"From the writing prompts to guided discussions to personalized feedback, the Feminist Horror class had everything I could’ve asked for! Lindsay fostered such a creative and open environment to share my writing and meet other writers." — AP​
"I have taken three classes with Lindsay so far: Feminist Horror, Queer Magical Realism, and Witches. She is a fabulous teacher. She gives insightful comments on workshop pieces, comes up with cool course content, fosters a really fun, collegial environment amongst the students, so much so that a bunch of us keep coming back." — Clare O'Dowd
"Lindsay's writing classes are enriching and fruitful. Her prompts are among the best I've seen and the book selections and insight shared during classes is valuable. She does an excellent job of building community among writers and encouraging a positive workshopping experience. I've had several pieces published that grew out of her prompts and writing workshops." — Jen Fischer, writer and filmmaker
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