The Tough Stuff: Strategies for Writing About Pain, Trauma, and Loss

Every reaction to tragedy, heartache, and loss is valid. If crawling under the covers works, do it. Raging at the universe is your right. But once you’re done, why not take the rawness and power of those emotions and channel them into your work? Writing through heartbreak and loss can provide a tool for discovering the insight lurking beneath the pain. At its best, such writing will stir readers’ emotions, even helping process their own pain. Think Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking. Jesmyn Ward’s Men We Reaped. Cheryl Strayed’s Wild. Instructor Andrea Meyer will assign readings and writing exercises to help you tell your darkest, scariest, and most gratifying stories, the stories you need to tell. 

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.