Minor Characters
In this fiction workshop, we shove the protagonists to the side and give minor characters the main stage. Goodbye Prospero, hello Caliban! Each day of the workshop, we will explore writing that centers “the minor” in some way: recasting a minor figure as the narrator of their own story; telling a story from an unpopular or minority viewpoint; allowing a supporting character to upstage the protagonist; or giving narrative voice to a minor/child. Short readings will supplement writing exercises as we explore how to create complex, rich characters and narrators of their own stories from the margins.
Beth Piatote is a Nez Perce playwright, scholar, creative writer, and Indigenous language revitalization activist. She is author of three books, including the mixed-genre collection, The Beadworkers: Stories (Counterpoint 2019) and distant water: poems (Milkweed Editions 2026); and the play, Antíkoni, as well as numerous poems, short stories and essays published in journals and anthologies. She is an associate professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
