The classes mostly focus on prose - fiction and nonfiction - but people who write in other genres can learn from them too, said Gay in a video interview Thursday. “In my new MasterClass, I’m going to teach you how to own your identity, write about trauma with courage and care, and approach writing through the lens of culture and personal experience,” said Gay on her Instagram. On Thursday, she joined a roster of art and industry luminaries to teach a MasterClass on writing for social change.

The editor, professor, cultural critic and author of the best-selling essay collection “Bad Feminist” and the memoir “Hunger,” Gay has earned a devoted fan base of readers and rapt lecture audiences with well-honed thoughts on the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and class along with other social issues. Roxane Gay knows the power of the written word.