601 Writing the Childhood Memoir: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions (ENGLISH)

Writing a memoir set in childhood takes its author you on a wild ride back into the past. It’s the closest thing to time travel most authors will ever experience. As we cast our gazes backwards to transform personal history into prose, we’ll encounter a couple of important choices to make.This workshop will address three big ones. First, how accurately will you be able to recreate real-life events from long ago, and what will you do about ones you can’t remember or didn’t witness yourself? Second, who’ll be telling your story — the you of today looking back, or the you of back then interpreting events as they occurred? And third, how will you negotiate delicate matters that might arise (ethically, legally, relationally) with family members whose memories and interpretations are likely to differ from yours? This workshop will use a mix of class discussions, anecdotes from published authors, and brief writing prompts to thoughtfully and thoroughly answer each question. Students will learn how to make choices that support the integrity of their unique stories and also take their relational needs into account. Writers of all levels are welcome, from those just starting a memoir all the way to those with a completed draft.

Instructor

Hope Edelman