Soft Publishing reflects not only what you have made, but how you wish it to move through the world.
Taught by Cortney Cassidy
Online
Mondays, 10:00am-1:00pm EST
October 26–December 14, 2026
Writing and the Photographic Image, International Center of Photography
This course considers publishing not just as a final step, but as an active site where meaning, authorship, and audience are negotiated. Exploring expected and unexpected modes of circulation, students will investigate publishing as both a container for and a boundless extension of the conceptual concerns of their work. Resisting fixed, market-driven hierarchies, we will develop value-based approaches to publishing that address access, labor, and responsibility. The course culminates in a collaboratively produced publication that brings together the cohort’s work as a singular, collective form.
The 8-week course will be split into two sections. Section 1 is dedicated to theory and exploration and includes two guest lectures, Section 2 to producing a collectively published project.
Readings for Section 1 are linked below in the syllabus and on the Soft Publishing calendar reminders to which invites will be sent at the beginning of the course. We will discuss each reading in class. Pay special attention to how the ideas and concepts relate to your own values and philosophies. If you do further research, I encourage you to share that during the class discussion.
Weekly assignments are due the Sunday before class by 12:00PM EST
Section 1
Section 2
Resources