A 5-Week Online Memoir Workshop
Wednesdays: June 5, 12, and 19; July 10 and 17 | 6-9 PM
Nothing happens nowhere, right? All stories take place in a place, but often as writers we forget to give place its due. Not only can the gorgeous, complicated and resilient solid earth be a character in its own right, it’s also a creative force—it shapes our stories and it shapes us! “The body repeats the landscape. They are the source of each other and create each other.” Those are the words of Meridel LeSeuer, from the proletarian literature movement of the 1930s and 1940s, who wrote heartbreakingly beautifully about the prairies of the Midwest. How are place and self connected? In this generative workshop open to all levels of writers, we’ll practice writing about our own interior landscapes within the larger sweep of the exterior landscapes we’ve lived in and traveled to.
Through close reading of other authors’ work coupled with engaging creative exercises, we’ll explore how writers have braided self and place in their work and we’ll put into practice some of their craft techniques. Workshop participants will also get plenty of feedback on their own work in an informal workshop setting.
+ PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur ONLINE via Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the class.
+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).
Gretchen Legler is a farmer, gardener, teacher, writer, and lover of the natural world. Her three booklength works of literary nonfiction include: All The Powerful Things: A Sportswoman’s Notebook, On The Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station Antarctica, and Woodsqueer: Crafting a Sustainable Rural Life. Her writing has won numerous awards including the 2023 Maine Book Award for memoir, and the John Cole Award for Maine-based nonfiction. She has been awarded two Pushcart prizes, a Notable Essay mention in Best American Essays, and has been published in venues including Orion and The Georgia Review. She teaches creative writing and English at the University of Maine Farmington, where she is also the Director of the Campus and Community Garden. For more, visit https://www.gretchenlegler.com/.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.
PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION
QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact programs@mainewriters.org.
REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.
$275 Members/$475 Nonmembers
REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.
SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one partial scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on May 22 at 9:00 a.m.
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MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION