Queer Writers: Don't Miss This Memoir Workshop!
This intimate class is designed for writers who want to feel emboldened, confident and strong in their first-person storytelling, and to be part of a vibrant peer community.
Earlier this year, we were so happy to mark Pride Month with our first-ever Queer Writers Workshop. During a time when rights and respect for LGBTQAI+ people are unfortunately backsliding in much of the U.S. and around the world, it feels important to commit to helping queer writers tell their own stories. Instructor Claire Rudy Foster put it more eloquently:
“Some of the most powerful statements an LGBTQIA+ person can make are, I belong. I will not be silent. You can’t erase me. I have a right to exist. Queer memoir makes these statements a reality by putting our stories on the page for others to read and hear.”—Claire Rudy Foster
And of course, this ain’t just a Pride Month thing, so we’re delighted that we managed to reel Foster back to lead another session of their popular writing workshop this fall. The students who joined in June formed a tight bond and reported they got tons out of working together and with Foster. Here’s what just a couple of them had to say:
“Foster is an amazing workshop facilitator and I really appreciated getting to know them and the inclusive, safe space they provided.” —Claire Sewell
“I loved the variety of exercises that we did in class, and the community aspect here was just amazing. Foster is great!!”—Carly Jo Helm
“Foster was very warm and encouraging. The class opened my mind to many new styles of writing and many authors I didn’t know. “ —Robert Dinkins
The next session of Queer Writers Workshop: Memoir Is an Act of Resistance is just around the corner, starting on Sunday, September 21. So if you’ve been thinking of joining, click through for more info and to sign up now.
PS: Interested in joining but can’t afford the full price? We are happy to offer sliding scale, income-based full and partial scholarships, which you can apply for here.
In addition to the Magical Realism in Memoir seminar we mentioned earlier this week, here’s a look at the other writing classes we have coming up this September:
How To Get Unstuck: The 90-Minute Guide to Kickstarting Your Writing
Ever struggle with writer’s block? We all have! But what practical, effective steps can you take so that it doesn’t get between you, your words and the page? This 90-minute seminar, led by award-winning author and Vanderbilt University professor Paul A. Kramer, is designed to help you develop the tools to confidently move forward with your writing at every turn, and maintain the motivation to finish your projects this fall.
Memoir vs. Autofiction: Situating Your First-Person Story
One of the most common thing we hear from writers is: I know I have a book in me, but I don’t know if it’s a memoir or fiction…or maybe somewhere in between. If that’s you, you’re going to want to check out this class. Instructor Rebecca van Laer is an acclaimed novelist and memoirist, and in this innovative Memoir vs. Autofiction writing workshop, she’ll lead writers in exploring the worlds of memoir (a story that’s strictly true) and autofiction (a story that draws on your own life but expands to include fictional elements), helping you decide which direction your story wants to go.
How to Write About Social Issues
A Pushcart Prize-nominated writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, CNN and many other publications, Kavita Das also authored the book Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues. Basically, she’s *the* expert on how to craft this type of writing. Writers have loved the seminars on social issues Kavita taught earlier this year, and we’re thrilled to have her teaching a more in-depth 6-week workshop on how to write about social issues this fall.
