Nightmare in Derry

Service Description

A 12-week virtual seminar dedicated to the works of Stephen King, Nightmare in Derry will immerse participants in one of his most iconic and unsettling fictional settings: Derry, Maine—a town shaped by horror, love, memory, and tragedy. Through close reading and discussion, the course will explore a range of King’s works that feature Derry as a central backdrop, including The Running Man, IT, and 11/22/63, tracing the ways the town evolves across narratives and reflects King’s broader literary themes. The seminar will run from June 10, 2026 through August 26, 2026, meeting weekly on Wednesdays from 7:00–9:30 PM EST via Zoom. Participants will engage in guided discussions, thematic analysis, and collaborative interpretation in a structured but conversational environment. A Zoom link will be distributed to all enrolled students 10 days prior to the first session. In addition to weekly discussions, students will have the opportunity to develop a literary analysis focused on Stephen King’s work. Drafts will receive individualized feedback from the instructors, including revisions, editorial guidance, and commentary on clarity, argumentation, and style. Students will also be provided with notes and recommendations regarding potential avenues for publication, offering a valuable bridge between academic study and public-facing literary scholarship.