Class Description
You decided to write a memoir. You’ve collected a bunch of memories and moments — maybe you haven’t written them all out yet, but you have a list. Now how in the world do you get all of these pieces to fit together?!
This class is all about finding the backbone for your memoir project. The backbone is the through-line that connects all of your memories together and makes your memoir feel cohesive. Through reflective writing prompts, students will identify the “heart” of their memoir. Then,we will discuss what constitutes a strong and clear backbone. We will use memoiric pieces by writers like Noor Hindi and Maggie Nelson as examples of different approaches to building the backbone. In guided writing exercises, students will find the backbone that serves the heart of their memoir, and begin integrating the backbone into their project. At the end of class, students will have the opportunity to share about their backbone and read brief excerpts of their memoirs.
Memoirists in all stages of their project are welcome!
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 detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.