Is your New Year’s resolution to read the classics? Then this is the class for you!

Gustav Flaubert’s Madame Bovary was one of the most aesthetically and socially influential books of the 19th century. In this class, we’ll read and discuss Lydia Davis’ widely praised 2010 translation. We’ll talk about Emma Bovary’s wide-ranging impact on literature and pop culture since the book’s publication in 1857; we’ll read stories that are directly and indirectly in conversation Flaubert’s master work; and we’ll complete writing exercises and prompts inspired by the novel and its themes.

Please note that while this class will include in-class writing and sharing, there will be no formal workshop component.

Instructor: Arshia Simkin

Dates: Begins Monday, January 11, 2027 and runs every Monday for six weeks

Time: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Location: 230 Fayetteville St., Raleigh*

Level: Beginner and above

12 spots max

$635: true price

$399: base price

$424, $449, $499: donate an extra $25, $50, or $100 to our scholarship fund

(Returning students receive 10 percent off).

A note on pricing:  the “true price” reflects the true cost of the class, which includes paying a fair wage to our staff and instructors, rental fees for the Redbud headquarters and for the community spaces where we host our classes, website and administrative/commerce fees, outreach and advertising to spread the word about our offerings, and the coordination and administration for our community classes, which serve people who could not otherwise access creative writing. We’re not a university or a large corporation and that means we don’t have an operating budget we can rely on; we’re proud to be a small, local, women- and minority-run business that is passionate about bringing the transformative power of the arts to our community. Your tuition helps Redbud with the critical work of keeping the arts accessible to the public. 

We also offer students a chance to donate to our scholarship fund. At check-out, you will be given the option of choosing a donor price. If you choose one of these prices, the extra $25, $50, or $100 will go towards scholarships for students who would not be able to afford our classes otherwise.  Thank you in advance for considering making a contribution to inclusivity and access!

Read the fine print, including our refund policy, here.

(*A note about parking downtown: The closest public parking garage is the Moore Square Parking Deck, which is a two-minute walk. During the daytime, this garage is free for the first two hours; after that the rate is $3 an hour. For evening classes beginning at 6 p.m., you can use the two free hours of parking at the Moore Square Parking Deck; parking in the deck is free after 7 p.m. (The Wilmington Street Station Parking Garageis another nearby public parking garage that is a 5-minute walk. You can find more information about free two-hour parking in downtown Raleigh here.)