Class Description
Are you writing a memoir––or hoping to begin one––and in need of a weekly deadline and community support to keep you on track? You’ve come to the right place. This eight-week online memoir class is open to memoirists at all draft stages and experience levels. The main goal of the course is to generate material for your memoir and to learn about the form. Each week, we will delve into an aspect of memoir, from how to incorporate backstory, how to freeze the frame on scenes to create an extra ""beat"" when needed, how to approach questions of structure, and considerations of voice. We will read excerpts from a range of memoirists, including Maxine Hong Kingston, Ocean Vuong, Joanna Rakoff, and Dave Eggers, with an emphasis on close reading. We will think about the choices these authors make on the page to help their stories achieve liftoff and to grab the reader's attention. Each week, there will be a writing prompt to generate a new scene for your memoir. At the end of the class, you will have the opportunity to submit an excerpt from your memoir for feedback from your peers and from the instructor.
Students will leave the class with new memoir material, a better sense of the memoir form, and the motivation and tools to keep working on your manuscripts.
*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Weekly lessons and assignments open each Wednesday. Students will receive an invitation to Wet Ink, our online class platform, before 5pm on the first day of class.
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.
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.