
Literature class is now in session
21 June 2026· by haley larsen, phd
Welcome to a special paid-only edition of Closely Reading: The Grapes of Wrath. This week, I’m giving you a series of writing prompts with a scaffolded exercise to help you take your reading experience even deeper.
Dear reader,
As I’ve gotten into the novel, Steinbeck’s participatory rhetoric has me thinking in questions.
To thank you for being a paid subscriber, and in an attempt to continue to make this space feel like your favorite literature class, I’ve decided to craft a bit of “homework” for you — based on the questions I’m asking myself as I read and my own favorite free writing practice.







