Class Description
Whenever we set out to write about our lives we realize that “truth” is a slippery concept. Everyone’s memory of an event is colored by subjectivity and circumstance. Three people at a car accident may remember that scene differently, depending on their point of view. And as we change over our lifetimes, how we remember events may also change. But as nonfiction writers we owe it to our readers to make our best efforts to tell the truth as we know it. To deliver A truth, if not THE truth. In this seminar we will look at how different memoirists tackle the tricky issues around truth and memory and engage in writing exercises that will help us write about our history when memory and truth don't line up.
Part of GrubStreet's Memoir Series, dedicated to the craft and process of memoir writing. Classes include:
- The Memoir Series: Where to Begin
- The Memoir Series: Seeing Yourself as a Character
- The Memoir Series: Writing the Family
- The Memoir Series: Memory vs. Truth
- The Memoir Series: Details! Details! Details!
- The Memoir Series: How to Build Suspense
- The Memoir Series: The Power of Place
To learn more about instructor Alysia Abbott and her teaching style, check out the short podcast with her in our GrubStreet Instructor Interview series:
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.