Course Description:
Led by Vanessa Zoltan and Julia Argy, A Year of Girlhood will give members of the Not Sorry community an opportunity to examine portrayals of the formative, significant, and challenging period of girlhood in seminal works of literature.

The six novels explored in this course cover a variety of themes, time periods, countries, and communities. Though at the center of them all is a strong-willed young woman dealing with and fighting against the obstacles of their world and, in the process, growing and coming into themselves. 

We'll be reading these books on the theme of rebellion. Asking questions like, how do we create ourselves in opposition? To patriarchy, to our elders, to racism and white supremacy, to our peers even to families? 

Each novel will be explored through a facet of our overall theme of rebellion— tailored to the specific characters, cultural elements, and context of the text. 

For 90 minutes every other Sunday, the class will meet to unpack these formative, expansive texts. Through in-depth conversations and sacred reading practices, we will dive into the formative period of girlhood, examining how the portrayals of girlhood in these novels allow them to withstand the passage of time. Furthermore, in focusing on these fascinating protagonists, we will discover what we can learn about rebellion and strength in our own lives.

Over the course of a year, we will be discussing these beloved girls as they try to figure out who they are in terms of what they are rebelling against.

This Course is Perfect For:

• Lovers of feminist literature

• Those who have read and love at least one of these books

• Those who have not read any of these books but want to

• Anyone wanting to read and discuss a variety of coming-of-age texts alongside each other

• Anyone craving the intellectual stimulation and warmth of a great book club

The Overview:

• Tuition:

  • Full Tuition: $625

  • Can’t Quite Afford Tuition: $450 (limited space provided to those who cannot afford the full tuition cost)

• Registration Details: As soon as you buy your ticket, you will receive an email from programs@notsorryproductions.com confirming your spot and sharing the Zoom link for the class.

  • Please note that this email could become lost in your spam folder, so it would be helpful if you add programs@notsorryproductions.com to your address book.

• Dates: Every Other Sunday (with few exceptions) from 8pm-9:30pm ET, from January 10th to December 12th, 2027

  • First Class: January 10th, 2027

  • Final Class: December 12th, 2027

• Recordings: Classes will be recorded for asynchronous viewing, but the course is best experienced if you attend each session live.

• Enrollment: There is no registration limit to this course, so the class could be anywhere from 10-100 folks, with ample opportunity for small group interaction. The course is open enrollment, so you can join at any point.

• Writing Requirements: While there will be time for reflection and some journaling prompts, this is a sacred reading/discussion class, not a writing course.

• Refunds: Unfortunately, this course is not refundable. 

• Questions? Email Courtney at programs@notsorryproductions.com, and she’ll return your message within 2-3 business days.

What You’ll Need for this Program:

• Reliable Wi-Fi, a notebook/journal, and something to write with

• A copy of Anne of Green Gables, To Kill a Mockingbird, Little Women, Their Eyes Were Watching God, I Capture the Castle, and Jane Eyre. (Rather than purchasing them, you can borrow these novels at your local library. Additionally, many of these texts can also be found for free online via resources like Project Gutenberg.)

Program Calendar:

Every other Sunday, from January 10th to December 12th, 2027

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Sunday, January 10th: Anne of Green Gables
Sunday, January 24th: Anne of Green Gables
Sunday, February 7th: Anne of Green Gables
Sunday, February 21st: Anne of Green Gables

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Sunday, March 7th: To Kill a Mockingbird
Sunday, March 21st: To Kill a Mockingbird*
Sunday, April 4th: To Kill a Mockingbird
Sunday, April 18th: To Kill a Mockingbird

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Sunday, May 2nd: Little Women
Sunday, May 16th: Little Women
Sunday, May 30th: Little Women
Sunday, June 13th: Little Women

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Sunday, June 27th: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Sunday, July 11th: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Sunday, July 25th: Their Eyes Were Watching God
Sunday, August 8th: Their Eyes Were Watching God

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Sunday, August 22nd: I Capture the Castle
Sunday, September 5th: I Capture the Castle
Sunday, September 19th: I Capture the Castle
Sunday, October 3rd:  I Capture the Castle

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Sunday, October 17th: Jane Eyre
Sunday, October 24th: Jane Eyre**
Sunday, November 14th: Jane Eyre
Sunday, November 28th: Jane Eyre

Sunday, December 12th: Final Tea

*While our faculty are away on one of our beautiful pilgrimages for Common Ground, the March 21st class will be led by our course TA. We will watch and discuss the 1962 film adaptation together! 
**Please note these two classes on October 17th and October 24th are scheduled one week apart in order to skip Sunday, October 31st for Halloween.

This class will be recorded for asynchronous viewing for registered class members.
Questions? Email our team at programs@notsorryproductions.com.

Faculty Bios

Vanessa Zoltan is the CEO of Not Sorry Productions. She hosts three of our Hot & Bothered. She founded Common Ground Pilgrimages in order to travel with brilliant faculty to beautiful places and talk about books with amazing pilgrims. It was a great trick she pulled off. She is also the author of the book, Praying with Jane Eyre.

Vanessa was trained as a non-denominational chaplain at Harvard Divinity School. She is a proud California girl who currently lives in MA with her gorgeous, blended family.

Julia Argy is a writer from Massachusetts. Her debut novel, The One, was published by Putnam in April, 2023. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Statistics, and from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program with an MFA in Fiction. She works as the Director of Pilgrimages at Not Sorry.