Writing the Past from the Safety of the Present

INSTRUCTOR: Sarah Gajkowski-Hill

TIME: Sunday, June 2, 3:00–6:00 p.m. CDT

PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, May 27. After Monday, May 27: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.

LOCATION: Online via Zoom

LEVEL: All levels

CAP: 15

“Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.” – Flannery O’Connor

In times of uncertainty, and certainly since the pandemic, writing our stories can prove more painful than we have bandwidth for. We may find ourselves avoiding writing altogether or writing too sporadically to make real progress. Thankfully, there are ways through this kind of writer’s block, and this workshop is about finding those ways through simple sensory-guided memory writing.

The instructor will walk participants through exercises designed to help writers tell their stories from the safety of the present. From paying careful attention to the senses to casting a deep net for positive, cherished memories, we will attempt to articulate the visceral details of a singular time and space while remaining present with our current emotions and surroundings.

We will read excerpts from memoirists such as Nabokov and T.S. Eliot, to Jeannette Walls and Mary Karr, and many more, to aid us in crafting our own memoir essays/confessional poetry.

The instructor will also touch briefly on rules for editing and revision. Sharing will be done in a safe space and only if one feels comfortable doing so.